A Freak Of Natural Causes
by SmarticalPartical
Summary: Cali Altman is a genius, a child prodigy or what she sometimes is called by her step-brother; a freak of natural causes. when her parents go to Zambia and her brother goes to college she is forced to live with her cousin Kurt. follow Cali through her ups and downs, from first crushes to last songs, what awaits Cali during her high shool years nobody knows. Cali in picture above
1. Chapter 1

**AN/DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE OR ANY SONGS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS STORY. I hope you enjoy this, even though I'm not a genius and some of this story is based on me and my friends life, & cootoes to you if you know who Spencer Reid is. This story starts Sophomore year just before theatricality **

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**Songs In This Chapter**

**Breakaway- by Kelly Clarkson- sung by Cali and Kurt**

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Name: California 'Cali' Altman

Age: 12

IQ: 179

City of origin: Seattle

DOB: 31/06/1997

School: William McKinley High School

Family: Lydia Altman née Hummel- Mother

Peter Altman - Step-Father

Alec Altman - Older Step-Brother (19)

Spencer Reid - cousin via. biological father (27)

Burt Hummel- uncle

Kurt Hummel- cousin (16)

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On the outside Cali Altman was like any normal twelve year old, a bit smaller than most her age but she had average features; a heart shaped face, shoulder-length dark brunette hair, violet eyes, was of average weight, but Cali was anything but normal. Cali was a special child. Once anyone met her they could see that someday she would be something great. The reason for her speciality: her mind; in short Cali Altman was a child genius, a prodigy or what she was sometimes called by her step-brother Alec: a freak of natural causes. From the time she could comprehend a word on a page she filled her head with knowledge from books, from the time she could type she took knowlege from the Internet and from the time she could speak she relayed facts like a transponder. All of her life adults had told her she was something extraordinary, children her own age didn't get her and neither did her classmates whom were frequently three to five years older (depending on how many grades she had skipped), because she was smarter her class mates ridiculed her, they were merciless, they constantly were teasing her for the fact she was younger, yet so much smarter than them, and having parents that were halfway across the world half of the time didn't help matters. It wasn't that her parents didn't love her, it was their jobs. Cali's mother and step-father were surgeons in Seattle, but when a big natural disaster struck somewhere in the world they would go there, and help the medics with the casualties , so Cali was basically raised for most of her life by her step-brother Alec and her cousin Spencer Reid. When Cali's parents had to go jet off to a disaster zone in some far off country they would send her and her step-brother to live with Cali's cousin who was her biological father's nephew, but Spencer was an FBI agent with the BAU, so they had to live at the other side of the country in DC and Spencer was frequently away on cases and was always very busy. But Cali loved her cousin Spencer because, he was like her, a fully fledged genius and even though he should have been working all the time, he still made time for Cali and Alec, he taught Cali how to play chess and how to play the violin, he taught Alec about Art and history. He cooked the dinner from scratch every night that he could, played board and card games with the both of them, bought Cali her books and sheet music and Alec his paint and canvases. He was like a father to both Alec and Cali.

A year ago Cali and Alec parents made a big decision and put a bid in for a grant to get money to go and give kids much-needed surgeries, a month ago they heard they had got it and that's where our story begins.

On a cold and blustery November morning Lydia, Peter, Alec and Cali Altman stood on the front porch of the Hummel's house, they looked quite disheveled and sleep deprived. Cali had an extremely large suitcase trawling behind her, and her big step-brother Alec was holding three boxes stacked on top of each other containing some of Cali's stuff. The reason why Cali's stuff was packed into multiple boxes and three suitcases is that her mother and step-father were going to Zambia to be surgeons because they had got the Carter Maddison grant for Paediatrics and her brother was going off to some London university (taking Art and design),and Spencer was doing some university course in Paris so he while he was on a short leave of absence from the BAU so he couldn't take care of her, so Cali would be living with her uncle Burt and her cousin Kurt; both of whom she had never met; for the foreseeable future. The door opened to reveal a man in his forties in a base-ball cap and a flannel shirt. Lydia went and hugged the man.

"It's good to see you too Lyd." Burt said to his kid sister. He turned to Cali, "You must be California?" he asked.

"That's me but everyone calls me Cali, you must be Burt?" she said with a smile.

"Yeah, that's me, why don't you guys come on in." he said and the Altman's stepped in the doors. "put the boxes by the stairs." he said to Alec. "Kurt!" Burt shouted "Your cousin is here!" and with in a few seconds a tall, thin teenage boy in very feminine clothing appeared beside Burt. "Kurt this is Lydia's daughter Cali she's the one who will be staying with us, could you show her where her room is, I have to sort some things out with aunt Lydia and Peter?" he asked his son.

"Yeah sure come on," he motioned for me to follow him up the stairs with an exceedingly high-pitched voice. He grabbed the three boxes and Cali took her suitcase and what looked like an electric guitar or bass case to Kurt and dragged them up the stairs heavy as they were. At the top of the stairs he turned left into a door which she took as her bedroom, so she entered. It was quite a big room, the room at Cali's old house in Seattle was bigger, but she thought it was still a nice room. Three walls were painted a golden cream colour and one was an emerald green. There was a single bed, two chest of drawers either side of the bed, a wardrobe and a vanity, it was quite sweet in a way to Cali.

"Cali is short for something I assume?" he questioned, putting the boxes down on the bed.

"Yeah, my full name is California, but I don't like it, I think it's stupid naming a kid after a state." Cali walked over to the bed and sat down.

"I think it's a beautiful name, it suits you." Kurt complimented sincerely.

"Thank, you have a lovely house by the way." she complemented smiling.

"Thanks." Kurt said smiling as well. "Well this is your room, it used to be mine about 4 years ago before I moved in to my new room, I hope you like it." he said, she beckoned him to sit down on the bed, he complied. Kurt eyed Cali up and down she was extremely small and petite and was wearing a simple jeans and hoodie, 'good' Kurt thought 'simple and effortless but beautiful and fashionable' he thought about her clothes.

"What's it like here in Lima?" she questioned suddenly causing Kurt to break from his chain of thought.

"What do you want to know?" Kurt inquired.

"Well I already know that only 18,290 the equivalent 47.2% of the population in Lima is female, whereas there has been a 3.3% drop in the overall population since 2000, the average income a ye-" Kurt stopped her in her tracks.

"What age are you, again?" he asked, Cali scolded herself, once she started with her facts everyone looked at her like she was a freak, though she took pride in being different, although it did hurt when people automatically labeled her as a weirdo with a big I.Q, when she looked up and on Kurt's face there was a look of amazement not ridicule or disdain . A Cheshire grin appeared on Cali's face.

"I'll be turning thirteen in two months." she beamed, so far no one was ever interested once she started to sprout facts except him.

"You're twelve, are you some sort of-" Kurt asked awkwardly but was cut off by Cali.

"Genius, child prodigy, freak of natural causes, take your pick, I am currently going to be a sophomore at the local high school, which I'm starting on the day they get back after the thanksgiving holidays." Cali got up off the bed, opened a box and took a few of my many, many posters along with sticky tack out.

"Well, we might be in the same classes because I'm a sophomore too," Kurt unrolled one of the posters. Cali unrolled her Blink 182 poster and tacked it to the wall opposite her bed.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to ask is it alright I put these up?" Cali asked.

"Yeah, sure you can. I see you like music?" he said holding open a poster of five for fighting.

"Yeah, back home in Seattle, that's where I'm from, I was in the orchestra, but they usually did old songs, most of which were boring, but I've always enjoyed singing." Cali said, tacking a poster of Back To the Future above her bed.

"If you love music there's this club I go to in school called New directions we're a glee club. You could join, if you want?" he conjectured. Cali's head immediately shot out the box she was digging in.

"Glee club: as in competitive show choir?"

"Yep we just won our sectionals a few weeks ago and our regionals in a couple of months,"

"I'm not that sure, me I mean singing in front of a live audience?" she asked rhetorically to herself. "I'm not that good." she sighed shaking her head and went back to unpacking.

"Well judging by the way you're denying your good, you haven't performed in front of an audience bar orchestra, so how do you know?" he answered. Cali didn't say anything. "I bet your ju-" Kurt was interrupted by a voice not coming from in the room.

"You two come on down!" it was Burt shouting from the bottom of the stairs. Kurt and Cali glided out the door and down the stairs quickly and we both went into the living room, Cali's family and Kurt's dad sitting on the couches.

The families talked about how Cali will have a bank account that all the stuff she needs can be withdrawn from, how they were assigning Burt co-guardianship, so it means if she wants to go visit Spencer when he got back from London and he could make d for her I'd god forbid anything happened to her while she was with him, then they talked about, Cali's new school and the classes she'd be taking. Then they talked about how to contact Cali's parents if anything happened. Soon they realised it was noon and that Cali's parents and Alec had to go catch their flights so they ended the conversation.

"I think we need to go to catch our flights, you see we have to drive to New York, us to catch our flights; Lydia and I to Zambia and Alec to London and University." Peter said getting up of the couch, Lydia regrettably following.

"Come here honey," Cali slowly got up off her seat and went to hug her mum. Cali squeezed her mum with all her might, but her Mum didn't care because this was probably the last time she will see her daughter for a year or maybe two years. "I know, I haven't been the ideal mother but I love you more than an ideal mother, you know that?" Cali let go and nodded. Cali went to Peter, her step-father, she didn't like him so it wouldn't be that much of hardship to say goodbye to him. Peter stuck out his hand, I took it, it was firm, cold, unfeeling and strict just like Peter himself.

"Goodbye Cali." he said and he ruffled her hair with his hand, she immediately fixed it annoyed, he knew Cali hated that. Last but not least was Cali's brother. In her whole family her step-brother was the person Cali was closest to, looking at the two you would never have thought they were related, he was a big muscly, tall, tan-skinned and blond. Cali was pale, petite and brunette and yet they worked as a perfect team, Cali did all his history, maths and english homework and he helped her keep her straight A streak in every subject by implementing his skills at art which Cali was incompetent at. Alec crouched down from his massive height to be level with Cali.

"Okay, Seven it's over to you now let's see if you can grow out of you Borg shell, your turn to take the ship," he said with wit referencing his and Cali's shared love of all things Star Trek.

"Good luck number one." Cali said and the hugged him around his waist tightly. "don't leave Alec." she pleaded in a whisper, still hugging him.

"I have to Cali, just like you will go to college in a couple of years too." he said in her ear. They parted slowly.

"Goodbye, Alec,and good luck" Cali said and stepped back sighing, knowing she would not be able to dissuade him in the first place. Cali's mother then picked up her hand bag and then said good bye to Kurt, Burt and hugged Cali again, the rest said all their good byes as they walked out of the door. Cali, Burt and Kurt stood in the drive way to see them off. Cali felt someone put her hand on her shoulder her family drove away, she looked up to see who it was; it was Burt.

"You okay kiddo?" he asked as the car turned the bend and disappeared.

"Yeah I'm okay." Cali reassured Burt, but he was not convinced.

"Kurt." He gestured for his son to come to in after Cali had gone in.

"Yeah." Kurt replied.

"I know Cali's a genius, but she has this thing called ADHD, it's accute and doesn't come to show very often. It means she can get a little eccentric at times and is a bit volatile so watch out for her at school." Burt warned his son as they walked in the door.

"I was going to anyway." Kurt stated shrugging.

"Being ripped from your family at such a young age, even though you're probably the smartest one of them has gotta hurt ant to say good bye to them." he thought. Burt went into the shop to work on a car and Kurt and Cali grabbed the rest of the boxes and cases and brought them up the stairs.

"When you were saying goodbye to your mum, my dad told me we could go tomorrow and bye paint to paint your room." Kurt said on his way into Cali's room.

"Cool." Cali said lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, boxes on the floor.

"Well you and I could meet up at the mall with my friends; you are going to be in the same year as them after all, and we can't do anything with your room because we're painting it tomorrow so we can't unpack your stuff, plus it's only two Noon on a saturday and I need to go shopping?" Kurt sighed, sensing a bit of tension between the two. Cali got up off the bed and took down the tacked up posters.

"I suppose we could; can I change first we just drove from Seattle?" Cali asked.

"Yeah I'll be in my room down in the basement when your finished, I'll ask my friends to meet us in half an hour?" Kurt questioned.

"I'll be down five minuets at the most." Cali smiled as Kurt walked out the door, down the stairs and into his room to text his friends.

"_**Gotta surprise 4 U**_

_**come to the mall in an hour**_

_**And meet me by the food court**_

_**And be hungry!**_" Kurt forwarded the message to Mercedes, Rachel, Quinn and Tina. All of them replied with 'yes's' and 'yeah's'

"I'm ready!" shouted Cali from up stairs. Kurt could hear someone running down the stairs. When she reached his room Kurt was unsettled to see her hair up in messy bun wearing a pair of grey combat boots, black jeggings (The worst fashion offence since petty coats) , a golden cream T-shirt with a open button-up shirt that had an army camouflage pattern on it. When Kurt looked a bit closer he could see that she was wearing two things round her neck, Kurt seen what looked like a sniper bullet on a chain! Kurt was utterly and completely shocked, he thought Cali was a sweet, lovely albeit genius little girl, the person he saw in front of him was a little monster, and not the good kind! The other necklace was tucked under her shirt, but he could see a shabby old chain around her neck and the outline of an oval under her shirt. "Something wrong, Kurt?" Cali asked

"Are you sure you want to be wearing that in public?" Kurt replied with a question. A confused expression appeared on Cali's face

"These our my favourite clothes." Cali said with dead calm.

"Sorry, but you look like you have either just been discharged from the army or walked out of a 1980's Rock n' Roll concert. I am personally going to buy you a set of clothes that are a bit sweeter." Kurt sighed.

"You ever try to make me or call me sweet or cute again you'll wake up the next morning with pink eyes and sewn lips, understand?" shouted Cali. Kurt was about to take her up on that offer but then he remembered two things: Cali was a genius and could do those things and two: she had ADHD and was just being volatile.

"Let's go!" said Kurt grabbing the keys for his car and Cali grabbed her handbag..

They both went to the garage and climbed into Kurt's navigator. When Kurt turned on the car, the radio started blasting music at high-volume. Cali instantaneously knew which song it was.

"_Grew up in a small town_

_And when the rain would fall down_

_I'd just stare out my window_

_Dreaming of what could be_

_And if I'd end up happy_

_I would pray_" Cali sang at a constant level.

"_Trying hard to reach out_

_But when I'd try to speak out_

_Felt like no one could hear me_

_Wanted to belong here_

_But something felt so wrong here_

_So I pray_

_I could breakaway_" Kurt sang as if he was illustrating the story of his unfortunate life, Oh wait he was!

"_I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly_

_I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky_

_And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change_

_And breakaway_

_Out of the darkness and into the sun_

_But I won't forget all the ones that I loved_

_I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change_

_And breakaway_" Cali diminuendoed into a low note.

"_Wanna feel the warm breeze_

_Sleep under a palm tree_

_Feel the rush of the ocean_" she sang at a constant.

"_Buildings with a hundred floors_

_Swinging 'round revolving doors_

_Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but_

_Gotta keep moving on, moving on_

_Fly away, breakaway_" Kurt crescendoed into an easily put high note.

"_I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly_

_Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye_

_I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change_

_And breakaway_" Cali sang with emotion and power.

"_Out of the darkness and into the sun_

_But I won't forget the place I come from_

_I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change_

_And breakaway, breakaway, breakaway_" they both finished in sync with the music in perfect time, Kurt was amazed, he was pretty sure his jaw had hit his lap. " That wasn't that good was it?" she said frowning "Did you know that the first glee club was in London's Harrow school in 1787?." Cali said at the speed of light trying to cover up with facts, that's what Cali does when she doesn't feel comfortable, is scared or thinks she has failed she spews facts. "Did you also know that the word glee comes from the Anglo-Saxon word -" Kurt stopped her from saying anything further.

"Cali, you don't have to spew out facts to cover something, you were amazing, you could definitely give Rachel a good run for her money and definitely could audition for glee club."

"Whose that?"

"Who's who?"

"Rachel, you said I could give her a run for her money." Cali stated simply.

"Just friends of mine, one of the ones we're going to meet. We're meeting Tina she's a Goth but is funny and sweet, Rachel she's egotistical and pompous but has good intentions and is our female lead in glee. Quinn is pregnant, but don't say anything about it," Cali nodded "and my best friend Mercedes, she's a pure diva like me if I were straight we'd be the power couple of glee club, not Jesse and Rachel." Kurt sighed. Cali's eyebrows and ears stuck up.

"You're gay?" she asked.

"Yep, it's quite obvious to most people," he said gesturing to his clothes.

"I've learnt not to judge by appearances, would you think I would know how to make a atomic bomb?" Kurt shook his head. "Yet I do." Cali paused for a moment. " Kurt, could you not tell them that I'm going to be a sophomore?"

"Yeah, but why?"

"Because I want them to know me by other than my genius abilities , wouldn't you prefer me to introduce my self like 'Hi I'm Cali Altman, Kurt's twelve year old cousin, notice to meet you' as opposed to 'Hello, my name is California Sherlock Altman, I'm only twelve but I'm a sophomore. I'm a autodidactic with an eidetic memory pleased to meet you too'?" she said with sass.

"Your middle name is Sherlock!" Kurt said stifling a snigger.

"Really! That's all you got from that rant!" Cali sighed loudly. Kurt took the keys out of his car, and they both got out. They walked through the main hall of the mall, sure enough four people were standing beside the food court. A brunette with a big nose, a pregnant-looking blonde, a oriental girl with blue highlights in her hair and a slightly plump dark-skinned girl.

"Hey Kurt!" the dark-skinned girl said when we came up to them.

"Who's this?" asked the girl with the big nose.

"I'm Kurt's cousin, California Altman although everyone calls me Cali. I'm going to be living with him." said Cali. All the girls eyed up and down the new addition to the group like she was a specimen on a slab that needed dissected in a biology class.

"We all hungry?" Kurt asked, with collective yes's from all of them they headed to the food court.

When everyone got back to the table from their distinctive places they commenced a conversation.

"Okay Cali this is Tina Cohen-Chang, Quinn Fabrey, Mercedes Jones and Rachel Berry, and Tina, Quinn, Rachel and Mercedes, this is California Altman," Kurt said introducing everyone properly and pointing to respective person.

"Where are you from Cali?" asked Rachel taking a bite of her salad.

"Seattle, but I lived between there and Washington." said Cali eating her chicken noodles.

"Cali's living with me because her parents are in Zambia giving surgeries to kids." 'Kurt explained

"You must miss them?" Quinn said as more of a statement than a question.

"Actually, I only arrived today and I probably will miss them, but I'll miss my step-brother Alec the most though, he's in university in London studying art and design."

"You do know it is a bit ironic that your mum and dad are surgeons, live in Seattle and that you second name is Altman, then you move in and live with the biggest Grey's anatomy fan on the planet?" Mercedes asked rhetorically.

"Kurt you like Grey's anatomy? " Cali asked.

"We all do." said Quinn sipping some of her water.

"Who's your favourite?" asked Tina squeezing in on the conversation. Cali thought about it.

"Well my favourite girls are Lexie and Christina, and of the boys Alex, back home me and my best friends Laurie and Irene used to watch it and fight over who was cuter, that new kid Avery, Alex or George. Although I stick by my decision of Alex?" all of the people looked at Cali with an 'are you serious?' look. Cali laughed, put a hand on the bridge of her nose and shook her heads.

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About six hours and a group collective 24 store purchases later the shops were starting to close so the group started to disintegrate until only Cali and Kurt were left.

"Come on let's go home. We're going need energy to paint your room tomorrow." Kurt said and they walked to the car a drove home. When they got there they decided to move all of the furniture in Cali's into the middle of the room (which took a hour and nearly broke both Kurt and Cali's backs), so they could start painting in the morning. Kurt and Cali skipped dinner due to them both having a big lunch at the mall. After that Cali took out a set of pyjamas and a set of old clothes to paint with tomorrow, she changed and went downstairs to Kurt's basement dwelling where she would sleeping the night on the couch due to the movement of the furniture in said person's new bedroom. Cali also dug out some DVD's from her suitcase as well. "What do you want to do?" Kurt asked.

"I have a couple of my favourite movies and Tv shows?" Cali asked more than stated. Kurt beckoned her to come sit beside him on his bed. She laid the DVD's out for him to see. There was her favourite TV show Bones, another TV show made in Britain called Sherlock, a few Indiana Jones movies, the two Mummy movies and about six or seven box sets of Star Trek. Cali could tell by his expression that he either didn't know or like them, ""e could watch one of your musicals you were telling me about?" his face lightened up. Kurt and Rachel had told her about musical theatre and film while they were at the mall and Cali had seemed fascinated by it.

"Well I have singing in the rain, Grease, my fair lady, Annie get your gun and calamity jane, I have more but I let Rachel borrow most of them, which reminds me I have to get them back." Kurt went off in a tangent. "We could watch Grease it's fun, I think you would like it?"

"Okay" said Cali in an apprehensive tone.

Kurt put Grease in the DVD player and Cali was plunged into a world of the singing, dancing, heart-throbs, heartbreaks and shenanigans of the students of Rydell high.

When the DVD was finished about two and a half hours later they were both sitting on the bed cross-legged, and the closing credits rolled onto the screen.

"What did you think of that?" asked Kurt.

"It was adroit, I enjoyed it though it was cloy in dance numbers and songs." Kurt's eyebrows knitted in pure confusion "it was ample but there was too much jumping about and singing and not enough acting for my taste." Cali rephrased, Kurt understood and nodded. "Who else is in glee club, besides the girls I met today?" Cali asked curious.

"Well, there's Santana and Brittany; they're cheerios then-"

"What's a Cheerio?"

"They're cheerleaders, I'm one as well as Mercedes, Quinn used to be one before she got pregnant, there was a whole drama she was going out with Finn but Puck got her pregnant," Kurt tangents off telling Cali what has happened during glee club the whole year right up until a few weeks ago when Jesse joined. Cali was fascinated with this club from what she heard from Kurt she could probably give them all a profile. 'Just like spence!" she thought. From an early age Cali had understood what her cousin Spencer did for a job, he figured out how to catch criminals by studying their behaviour, Cali wanted to follow in her cousins footsteps one day, so Spencer had taught her bits of profiling over the years, how to tell when someone was lying and how to get the truth out of someone and this club sounded more interesting than some of the profiles of the most psychotic killers her cousin had told her about. 'this should be interesting.' she thought.

The conversation quickly progressed from the people in glee club to the type of music that the each of them liked.

"Favourite song?" Cali quizzed.

"No business like show business, what about you?"

"Either Bohemian rhapsody by Queen or..." Cali bit her lip and started to blush.

"It can't be that bad, what is it rap?" Cali shook her head "opera then?" Cali gave him an 'are you serious?' look "Come on you can tell me." Kurt reassured her. She hesitated.

"It's 'I'm with you' by Avril Lavigne. It was mine and Alec's song, we used to sing it in the car on the way to school."

"That's not that bad, granted it's not one of my favourites but it's still half decent song, why would you think that it would be bad?" Kurt questioned curious. Cali hesitated, she dosen't want to brig up the past, it's too painful.

"The kids at school used to tease me about liking songs by people like Avril Lavingne, James Morrison, the who, Queen." Cali lied, there was an akward silence "It's eleven can we go to sleep?" Cali said abruptly, Kurt nodded and Cali got on the couch and pulled the fleece banket over head and buckeled down for the night.

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**End of Capter on Pelease tell me what you gyus think**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY SONGS IN THIS OR ANY STORIES NOR DO I OWN GLEE**

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**SONGS IN THIS CHAPTER:**

**My Side Of The Story- JT Hodges**

**I Miss You- Klymaxx**

**Missing You- Diana Ross**

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CHPT 2

The alarm startled Kurt awake; he groggily threw the covers off, got up out of bed and wandered to his basement dwelling's en suite bathroom to take a shower. Once he got out of the shower he grabbed his clothes he had laid out the night before, it was then he noticed a small drip of dry dark green paint on his duvet, he mentally cursed himself and vowed to get a new bed set as his mind wandered back to yesterday; Cali was up at the crack of dawn and had knocked over a lamp (thankfully not breaking it) and had woke Kurt up by default. Then they had spent the whole day painting Cali's room dark green and a creamy gold; they sang along with Cali's speakers which she had plugged into wall and Cali put her I phone into the docking station. Painting was boring though, and Kurt guessed Cali had gotten bored had flicked a little paint by accident but then she did it again and again, Kurt told her to stop but she continued so he flicked a little paint back then she did the same, soon this had become a fully-fledged paint war (Kurt was lucky he had gotten Cali and himself overalls, otherwise he would have ruined a $600 Marc Jacobs red PVC jacket) , they still somehow got the work done, they had finished around Two O'clock. They then had had lunch, Kurt painted Cali's nails, and they watched some TV for a few hours. By the time they had finished setting the room up properly it was nearly midnight so they went their separate ways and instantly fell asleep in their own beds quickly because it was a school day the next morning.

Kurt finished getting ready by putting rubbing in the last of the moisturiser on his face and spraying about a litre and a half of hairspray on his hair. He grabbed his school bag and dawdled up the stairs and in to the kitchen where to his surprise Cali was up, ready and flipping pancakes for Burt, Kurt and herself. Kurt's jaw hit the dirty dark linoleum dining room floor.

"You want one?" she asked. Kurt told himself not to, for his figure. But a stern glare from his dad at the table had put him in his place so he sat down, Cali put down a plate with two massive pancakes on it.

"Damn, there goes my figure!" Kurt sighed mentally, picked up the fork and knife and ate. Kurt had to admit the food was extremely good. "Where did you learn to cook like this?" Kurt asked astonished. Cali smirked.

"Well when you spend most of your time with your parents on-call at the hospital and on your own with your brother or living with an busy FBI agent who doesn't know how to cook, your maternal instincts kick in, plus it helps that your brother and the FBI agent in question easy to please." Cali muttered flipping her own pancake on to a plate. Burt got up after putting the last piece of pancake in mouth.

"Thank you Cali for the pancakes, now I have to get to work you two have a good day at school." Burt said.

"You too!" the two said in unison.

"I really like your outfit today; it's much nicer than the one you wore to the mall." Kurt stated staring at her outfit, which consisted of a dodger blue fabric fedora that had a pansy purple serrated ribbon at the base of the hat, a pair of glossy black oxford shoes, dodger blue chinos and a pansy purple coloured bat-winged shirt that had the superman logo on it. Cali was also wearing a silver charm bracelet with about ten small charms on it, and then Kurt noticed the oval under her shirt and the shabby old chain around her neck and thought "I wonder what is so important about that necklace that she never takes it off no matter what outfit she was wearing.

"I'm glad you like it. I was aiming for dress to impress, is that your Cheerio's uniform?" Cali inquired cheerily.

"Do you think I'd be caught dead in polyester otherwise?!" Kurt gave her what he liked to call his 'What do you think?' look.

Soon it was time to go to school. They both grabbed their bags and Cali grabbed her guitar from upstairs.

* * *

Once there Cali and Kurt went to administrations, where they got Cali's schedule, Kurt glanced at it for similarities to his own. Kurt looked at her class list: criminal law, psychology, sociology, forensic science, AP algebra 1 & 2, AP English, AP biology, politics, public speaking. 'Was she taking every class?' Kurt thought with his eyes wide. Unfortunately they discovered they had two classes together; French and Spanish, they didn't have their French periods until Wednesday-Friday but they did have Spanish last period today. Then she noticed a three counselling appointments with Miss Pillsbury, he thought it made sense since if he had to go to school where everyone was really older than him he'd flip. So they made their way to Cali's locker which was at the other side of the school from Kurt's, near the lockers.

"So Cali, first you have AP biology, it's down that corridor. Then you have AP English, that's there-." Kurt was cut off by Cali who was giggling at Kurt fussing over her.

"Kurt stop fussing over me I'm not made of glass you know?" Cal giggled. Kurt sighed at Cali's stubbornness for he was certain that Cali would either get lost or hurt herself.

"And remember to meet me-" he was cut off yet again.

"At the cafeteria at lunch, I know you told me like a hundred times this morning!" Cali said to him.

"Oh! And as you Glee is on today and I'll tell Mr. Schue to expect an audition, think of songs you could sing, if you need any help with lyrics or songs, I'll help you at lunch." Kurt said rather awkwardly.

"I don't need help with remembering the lyrics, with my eidetic memory and that." she tapped above her eye twice for emphasis. The bell rang.

"Don't get yourself in to trouble and remember-"

"I know I'll be fine, as one of my favourite authors J. double R. Tolkien once wrote 'The whole thing is quite hopeless, so it's no good worrying about it now. It probably won't come about.' so quit your worrying, I already know I'm going to do something stupid, like walking into the wrong classroom, or something, so why try to stop it?" Cali shrugged.

"Trust me with your IQ you could do anything." quipped Kurt.

"I'm not bulletproof you know." Cali sighed in exasperation. "Anyways you better go if you don't want to be late for class?" Cali said noticing they were the only people left in the corridor.

"Ok, see you at lunch." Kurt said.

"Yeah see you then." Kurt promised, and both of them, went their separate ways; Kurt to his homeroom and Cali to hers.

When Cali got to her homeroom everyone automatically noticed the new pint-sized addition to the class; and frankly Cali thought the way that everyone was staring was kind of creepy and not in a good way as she sat in the back row. The roll was called by their homeroom teacher, Miss Booth - a spunky teacher with blonde hair. "Aaronson, Mina?" Miss Booth asked.

"Here." Said a girl in the front row.

"John Adler?" inquired the teacher.

"Here." a boy in the second row said.

"California Altman?" people sniggered at the name, 'damn that name!' Cali thought aggressively.

"Present and call me Cali." Cali said in a very annoyed tone. The teacher continued down to Irene Watson on the bottom of the list. After that Miss. Booth told them that they could talk to each other, Cali had known enough that most likely people would stare and be a little confused and wouldn't talk to her, fortunately on Cali's part no one talked to her during homeroom and in biology and English she only answered questions from the teacher and questions posed in class. Needless to say Cali knew the answer to every single question; but from experience only put her hand up once or twice in each class. Cali liked this existence, at the back of the classroom preferably sitting on her own answering every question on a test in about three minutes max, and then reading a book she bought with her at a very abnormal speed; it was the existence she was used to. Once Cali tried an experiment; when she was in the school in Seattle she'd wear classic geeky and bright clothes, put her hand up for every question like she wanted to (sometimes she got excited because of the ADHD), and in her school on D.C she wore the type of clothes she wore darker, more socially normal clothes and kept more to herself by not putting her hand up in class and not participating in so many school clubs. Cali was blatantly bullied at home in Seattle. At one point it got so bad that she was pushed in to a locker so hard that she was knocked unconscious and cut the back of her head, it wasn't that bad but she has a small scar on her hairline at the back of her head, Cali wasn't bullied that much in D.C she just got pushed around and the odd toilet dunking, but she liked it better when she wore darker clothes and kept to herself, so ever since she was 6 and was in 4th grade she dressed like she did now and had the same attitude towards school, that's how in every subject and in every grade she's had one hundred per cent marks.

Very soon it was lunch and Cali took the map out of her vertically striped neon yellow, neon blue, neon pink and neon orange water proof satchel Kurt made her buy at the mall, she looked at the map and found that the cafeteria wasn't far, so she set off for it; keeping close to the lockers and out of everybody's way. Cali noticed everyone's not-so-well hidden what-the-hell-is-a-kid-that-age-doing-at-a-high-school stares that she got everywhere she went. Cali eventually found Kurt standing at the outside the door with a worried look on his face, he turned away from her not seeing her amongst the mass in the corridors. Cali decided to get a laugh out of this. She crept up behind him and quickly pinched him at the base of the net, his shriek reverberated off the walls, he jumped possibly two or three feet in the air and everyone looked at him, but Cali hid behind him so no one knew what was going on. Kurt tuned round and seen Cali's giggling face. "What the hell!" Kurt said. Cali was still in a fit of giggles, Kurt sighed "Come on, we have to introduce you to the Glee kids." Kurt dragged Cali over with him to line. Once they had got their food Kurt led Cali towards a table where Mercedes, Rachel, Puck and Artie were sitting. Already having met most of them she could tell Mercedes ESFJ (profiler speak for a person who loves people, loves being around people and having fun), Rachel was an INJT (a person who is strategic and values competence in other people in the said INTJ's chosen field) and Tina was a ISTJ (dependable, loyal and reserved people with a great sense of duty).

"Hey Kurt!" Mercedes shouted. Cali was behind Kurt so no one had seen her yet, she stepped in front of Kurt, the surprise on the girls' faces was a bit comical.

"Who's this Kurt?" Artie questioned.

"Go ahead." Kurt urged Cali.

"I'm California Altman, but everyone calls me Cali, as the girls know I'm Kurt's cousin, I'm living with him until I graduate." Cali said cheerily.

"Wait you go here?" Artie asked.

"Cali's a sophomore." Kurt answered.

"What age are you?" Puck asked (slightly, mind you!) stunned.

"I'm two months off thirteen." Cali smirked.

"Your twelve, how's that possible, you must be a-" Puck was cut off.

"Genius, Child prodigy, freak of natural causes, take your pick." Cali spat 'here we go again!' Cali thought, everyone looked surprised.

"Why don't we sit down?" Kurt said. Everyone moved around and Kurt and Cali sat down awkwardly.

"So where are you from?" Artie asked.

"Seattle, but I moved between there and D.C." Cali replied starting to eat her sandwich.

"Cali's auditioning for glee club," Kurt said.

"Can you sing?" Rachel asked obviously trying to scope out the competition.

"Rachel, I've heard her sing and she could give you and Mercedes a run for both your monies." Kurt bitched back.

"Oh, please you only heard me sing once and to a Kelly Clarkson song nonetheless." Cali sighed back.

"Sing something for us?" Mercedes encouraged.

"Here, in the cafeteria?" Cali piped. Everyone looked dead serious, they all thought she wouldn't do it, but she got up and climbed on top of the table with her guitar, soon everyone in the room stared at her.

"**_A cold wind blows, I am shivering_**

**_My body aches as my heart is breaking,_**" Cali paused for dramatic effect, still playing her guitar.

"**_Why is life making me hollow?_**

**_Why is happiness casting me in the shadows?_**

**_In the shadows._**" Cali repeated in diminuendo.

"**_Hold on, don't turn and walk away_**

**_Save me_**

**_And I cried these words but nobody came_**" Cali strummed all the strings on the guitar.

"**_I'm all alone, running scared_**

**_Losing my way in the dark_**

**_I tried to get up, stand on a prayer_**

**_But I keep crashing down hard_**" Cali breathed.

_"**This is my side of the story**_

**_Only my side of the story_**

**_Nobody cares, nobody's there, no one will hear_**

**_My side of the story_**

**_And I cried these words but nobody came_**" crescendoed playing her guitar full plucking the cords.

**_"I'm all alone, running scared_**

**_Losing my way in the dark_**

**_I tried to get up, stand on a prayer_**

**_But I keep crashing down hard_**

**_This is my side of the story_**

**_Only my side of the st_**-" She abruptly stopped something cold slapped her in the face. Slushy. "Ce que l'enfer, espèce d'idiot stupide Neanderthal?" Cali shouted in French, which she only does when she is pissed.

"That's right, nobody cares!" Azimio laughed and strutted away with his clique everyone in the cafeteria (except the glee kids) laughing, Cali forcefully wiped the green slush from her eyes. Fuming with anger looked around her she spotted Rachel's metal water bottle, picked it up, aimed it and threw a perfect shot at Azimio's head, she smirked, got off the table, sat down and started eating lunch. Everyone at the table stared at her.

Cali started finishing her first sandwich, and then she suddenly stopped and put down. "I've lost my appetite, I'm going to clean this slush out of my hair." she said and got up, grabbing her bags and practically running out the door.

"I'm going to go after her." Kurt said rising from the table, he followed her, hot on her tail.

Rachel got up and quickly followed Kurt; she wanted to help Cali. From what Rachel could gather from talking to at the mall was that Michael Jackson was Cali's idol as much as Barbra was hers and Whitney was Mercedes, Cali also played the guitar (acoustic and electric), the violin and piano. Although the one thing Rachel could tell was that Cali was like Kurt; both in looks and in personality, she was brave for one thing throwing a metal bottle at Azimio's head and hitting it too. Cali skewed off into a toilet Rachel knew Kurt didn't see her because he kept on walking. So Rachel decided to help Cali and went into the toilet.

Cali threw her bags I'm a corner and started cleaning the green slush that was eminent against her pale complexion.

"Damn this stings." she said thinking that she was alone.

"I know how it feels, but it will wear off after a while." Cali looked up into the mirror; it was Rachel whose reflection was speaking to her.

"How long is a while?"

"About an hour." Rachel said. Cali started on her hair but was miserably failing at it. Rachel walked towards her. "Here let me help?" Rachel said grabbing a paper towel, put it in water and started gently cleaning the slush off her face, clothes and hair.

"Thanks," Cali said when she was done.

"Well us talented ones have to stick together." Rachel smirked.

"You think I'm talented, I mean you're the one that's really talented, Kurt showed me a video of you guys performing at sectionals and you were really good at don't rain on my parade," Cali slurred in one go "sorry I have a tendency to talk too fast and jump from one subject to another." Cali blushed and apologised. Rachel laughed and smiled.

"Why didn't you tell us at the mall that you were going to be a sophomore?" Rachel asked intrigued.

"I wanted you girls to get to know me without it being awkward." Rachel nodded, Cali grabbed her bags and they both walked out into the hallway. They both walked back to the to the cafeteria table.

"Where did you two go? I looked everywhere for you Cali." Kurt said concerned.

"Rachel helped me clean the slush out of my hair." Cali said sitting down.

"That was totally bad-ass you know going all leather face on Azimio." Puck said

"Thanks, I guess I'm used to fighting back since I was in kindergarten by the time I was 4, plus at least it was apple; my favourite flavour." Cali chuckled. The rest of the table laughed (albeit awkwardly) too.

The rest of lunch consisted of talking about the glee assignment last week which had been Madonna. Lunch ended quickly ended and Cali looked at her schedule to make sure she knew where she was going. Cali was going to physics and Spanish. Physics, Cali found extremely boring, the questions were simple for her and the only thing keeping her from being not interested was the fact that they were doing an experiment on electricity it seemed to drag on and on and on until finally the bell rang. "Finally!" Cali thought even though she had been reading under the desk most of the lesson and continued to do it in the hallway on the way to Spanish.

"Hey, what you reading?" said a voice to Cal's left. Kurt.

"Unabridged version of Hamlet, you know by the Bard." Cali smiled.

"Really Hamlet and you understand it?"

"Yeah I'm re-reading it for English -even though I could recite the entire play-, we have to do a project on our favourite book analysing the characters."

"What do you mean you could recite the whole thing?"

"I have an eidetic memory, like I mentioned earlier?" Kurt looked even more confused "You have no clue what an eidetic memory is?"

"No, not as of yet." Kurt replied. 'Hmmmm...' I thought 'how can I explain?'

"Well, have you ever heard of the term 'photographic memory?"

"Yeah, I'd love to have it."

"Well it's sort of an extreme version of that, it basically means that I can't forget a word I read." Cali continued as they walked into the class room. "Kurt would you save me a seat I have to talk to Mr. Schuester and get my books." Kurt nodded. Cali walked over to her Spanish teacher. "Excuse me Mr. Schuester, I believe I'm you new student, California Altman?" Cali stated more than questioned. Mr. Schue looked at her, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of her.

"Well, welcome to McKinley California and theses are you books." Mr. Schuester handed Cali a stack of three books, two orange text books and workbook.

"Thank you Mr. Schuester." she said as she walked to the seat Kurt had saved for her in the front row, she said a quick thank you to Kurt as she sat down and Mr. Schuester delved into the lesson, he wanted them to translate a passage from the textbook from English to Spanish and then give it in. Cali set down to work, immediately reading the 500 word passage with her 19,000 word per minute ability. Needless to say Cali finished quickly, would be an understatement as it took more time to write it down than to come up with the translation in her head, so it only took her three or four minutes to finish translating and writing it, so she got up.

"Where are you going?" Kurt whispered to her.

"I'm finished." Kurt's eyes widened, Cali quietly chuckled, rolled her eyes and walked over to Mr. Schuester's desk.

"Is anything wrong Cali?" Mr. Schuester asked.

"No, nothing it's just I'm finished." Cali said sheepishly offering for him to take her work, which he took appreciative but cautious.

"Wait here a second till I mark it." Mr. Schue said. Mr. Schuester read the passage and checked it against what Cali assumed his answer book; it took him 5 minutes, a little longer to do it than a teacher should in Cali's opinion. "Are you fluent, do you speak Spanish?"

"Spanish is one of the languages I speak fluently."

"One?"

"Yes I speak French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, Japanese and I suppose you could count Latin, also I'm learning Chinese at the minuet." Mr. Schuester's jaw dropped.

"Ummm. well done." he stuttered.

"Thanks... and Mr. Schuester?"

"What Cali?"

"I heard you direct glee club; I was wondering if I could maybe audition, at the meeting today, my cousin Kurt Hummel told me about it?" Cali inquired.

"I guess so if you have an audition prepared, you can audition at the start of the meeting, okay?" Cali nodded.

"Thanks again Mr. Schuester." Cali said, as walking back to her seat, she could see Kurt rolling his eyes.

* * *

Spanish Class ended quickly and Kurt and Cali had 20 or so minutes before glee club. They had just got out of their seats in Spanish class.

"Can we stop off at the library; I need to get some sheet music for my audition?" Cali asked.

"Course we can, what you singing anyway?" Kurt asked.

"I'm singing a mash-up of Klymaxx's I miss you and Diana Ross's missing you"

* * *

"Okay, guy's, there's a new member today auditioning for Glee, she's quite a bit younger than you and she's skipped grades, so she's extremely smart, I think Figgins said she was twelve and she's in Sophomore year, so be nice, from what I understand she's Kurt's cousin, her name is California Altman." Mr. Schuester said to the glee club with the exception of Kurt. Some of the girl's shared looks of confusion. Just then Kurt and Cali walked through the door; Kurt went and sat down while Mr. Schuester beckoned Cali to come over to him. "Cali, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" Cali gingerly to a step forward.

"Well, as some of the girls in the room that I met on Saturday know my name is California Altman but everyone calls me Cali. Born in Seattle but lived between there and D.C, I'm twelve with an IQ of 169 and some of my family also have high IQ's. My musical idols are MJ, Gaga and nickleback." Cali said quickly, everyone guessed she was nervous.

"Okay Cali, what will you be singing for us today."

"I was going to do a mash up between Diana Ross' missing you and Klymaxx's I miss you, I would like to dedicate it to my step-brother Alec."

"Take it away," Mr. Schue said, Cali walked over to the piano.

"May I." she asked Brad, the piano player. He obliged and moved out of the way.

Cali took a deep breath started to play and then started to sing.

"**_Thought I heard your voice yesterday_**  
**_Then I turned around to say that I loved _**  
**_you _**  
**_then I realized _**  
**_that it was just my mind _**  
**_playing tricks on _**  
**_me..._**

**_Since you've been away_**  
**_I've been down and lonely_**  
**_Since you've been away_**  
**_I've been thinking of you_**  
**_Trying to understand_**  
**_The reason you left me_**  
**_What were you going through?_**

**_It seems colder lately at night_**  
**_and I try to sleep with the _**  
**_lights on_**  
**_Every time the phone rings_**  
**_I pray to God it's you_**  
**_I just can't believe _**  
**_That we're through... _**

**_I'm missing you_**

**_As I look around_**  
**_I see things that remind me_**  
**_Just to see you smile_**  
**_Made my heart fill with joy_**  
**_I'll still recall_**  
**_All those dreams we shared together_**  
**_Where did you run to, boy?_**

**_Tell me why the road turns_**  
**_Ooh ooh_**  
**_I'm missing you_**  
**_Tell me why the road turns_**

**_Is it done and over this time?_**  
**_Have we really _**  
**_changed our minds?_**  
**_About eachothers love..._**  
**_All the feelings that we used _**  
**_to share..._**  
**_I refuse to believe that you don't care._**

**_I miss you _**  
**_There's no other way to say it_**  
**_And I, And I can't deny it._**  
**_I miss _**  
**_you _**  
**_It's so easy to see _**  
**_I miss you and _**  
**_me..._**

**_But now you've gone away boy_**  
**_I feel so broken hearted_**  
**_I knew the day we started_**  
**_That we were meant to be_**  
**_If only you'd let me!_**  
**_I've cried so many tears_**  
**_Gotta face now all my fears_**  
**_We let time slip away_**  
**_I need you boy_**  
**_Here today!_**

**_I've got to gather my senses together _**  
**_I've been through worse kinds of weather_**  
**_If it's over now _**  
**_be strong _**  
**_I can't believe that you're gone..._**  
**_I've _**  
**_got to carry on._**" as she finished, there was an applause mixed in.

"Welcome to the club!" Mr. Schuester said.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN/DISCLAIMER: YOU KNOW THE DRILL. DONT OWN GLEE, DON'T OWN SONGS. HOPE YOU LIKE. FOR THIS STORY IMAGINE JESSE DIDN'T BREAK UP WITH RACHEL IN 'BAD REPUTATION'**

* * *

**-Songs_ in this chapter-_**

**_Venus by Bananarama sung by Cali_**

**_My girl- by Temptations sung by Kurt_**

* * *

CHPT 3

Kurt and Cali were sitting in Kurt's basement dwelling thinking about songs for this week glee assignment. Decades. Cali was slightly miffed because Mr. Schue said that she should come to him at any time if she was feeling overwhelmed. Cali was sick and tired of people belittling her because of her age so she was absolutely determined to kill the competition at glee. The specific assignment; do a song or mash-up with your partner from your decade as authentically as you can (including costume) and then they'd be doing a big number at the end of the week in their costumes. This was in order to appear appealable to every demographic; needless to say that the boys were not happy at all with it Puck even at one point said before the 70's was gay, but Mr. Schue had still pushed the assignment until he decided they needed a little encouragement; so he offered the winning couple two tickets to whichever movie the couple decided to go plus all of the popcorn and snacks paid for. So naturally the boys were ecstatic about it. Then they picked their partners and decades form two jars: Finn and Santana got the 70's, Tina and Artie got the 40's -much to a certain wheelchair-ridden persons' dismay-, Rachel and Kurt got the 60's, Brittany and Quinn got 90's, Puck and Mercedes got 50's and with the quietest members of glee stuck together: Matt and Mike doing the 00's that left glee's youngest and oldest members: Cali and Jesse to do the 80's just to Cali's liking.

Both Kurt and Cali were sitting at the table deciding what to do for each of their songs.

"You'd be good at 'here comes the sun' by Beatles; you know your vocal range and all." Said Cali, while trying to stab ice cream out of a still completely frozen tub of Ben and Jerry's fairly nuts ice-cream.

"That one's too solo specific, if you know what I mean for my tastes, maybe something down the lines of-." Kurt was cut off by Cali - something Kurt was fast getting used to- who said.

"I've got one that would be perfect for you!" then went running over to his laptop that was sitting on the bed. Kurt followed her holding his mug of coffee. When he got there Cali had turned the laptop no and it was asking for the password.

"The password is-." He started but was again cut off by Cali saying.

"Alexander McQueen all one word. I already know."

"How did you know?" Cali chuckled at the expression at Kurt's face as it was beyond comical.

"The magician never reveals the secrets." Cali smirked. Kurt sat down on the bed and saw Cali click on the internet icon and then her hands flew across the key board and in a flash she was at a video on YouTube called 'Daydream believer''. Cali clicked play and Kurt to the music with his self-acclaimed expert ears and quite frankly enjoyed by the song even though it wasn't usually what he'd go for. When the song ended Cali asked him. "Watcha think?"

"I know it's a good song." Kurt said nodding his head.

"You already know it?!" Cali said crestfallen. 'Great a socially retarded genius!' Kurt thought.

"I can't believe I'm doing the 60's it so good!"

"But the 60's has a bad wardrobe," She said. A 'speak for yourself!' was heard under Kurt's breath.

"So I'll either do that song or I'll do 'All you need is love' but I think I'll do this one because I can't see me in stage with flared trousers on can you?"

"Well I can visualize that but I sincerely don't want to, you see when you ask that question anyone you ask could imagine that because-."

"Don't worry I get it, but now that we've cleared up mine what about yours?"

"I think I either do a mash-up or medley there sort of my thing but maybe I'll sing something from the Beatles, or Elvis anyway we have till next Friday to finish it." Cali then proceeded to shut down the computer and went back to her book and nutty ice-cream.

"Wasn't your book different at lunch?" Kurt asked bored after about ten minutes of idly flicking through his closet.

"Yeah I finished it at lunch, now I'm** _trying_** to read, my cousins' colleagues'' new book."

"You're really close to that cousin of yours aren't you?"

"Yeah I am, Spencer and Alec between them practically raised me."

"Didn't your Mom and Dad do that?" Kurt asked a little too casually for Cali's tastes.

"Mom was gone with Peter about 3/4's of the time, so going to live in Seattle for a few months at a time felt like visiting. And as far as I'm concerned I haven't had a dad since I was six years old." Cali tilted her head and shrugged. Kurt just stared at her with apprehensive eyes at what she said. There was an awkward silence that only one half of the two - Kurt - found awkward.

"Okay back to my question I was going to ask: you said you only started the book at lunch?" Kurt questioned eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"Yeah and I finished it." Cali shrugged.

"That fast?"

"Yes I can read 20,000 words per minute, just like my cousin Spencer." Kurt was in awe at Cali, ' what else can this girl do?' the thought inside his head?

* * *

"So, what time is Burt coming home?" Cali asked Kurt about three books, half a tub of ice-cream, an episode of Star Trek: Voyager (which Kurt had to admit he actually liked) and two hours later. 'If that little girl eats that much then how does she stay twig-like?" Kurt thought sitting at his in his room.

"In about an hour, which reminds me; I have to make Friday night dinner this week, they're a tradition of sorts for us."

"Can I help?" Cali asked.

"Guess so." Kurt smiled, walking out of the basement with Cali quickly following him into the hallway and then to the kitchen. Kurt walked over to the sink.

"So what are we making?" Cali asked leaning against the counter top.

"Spaghetti and meatballs à la Hummel, my mother's old recipe." Kurt said grabbing ingredients and utensils from various cupboards and compartments of the fridge. "While I work on the main course, you will be working on the dessert, don't know what we have but we have the basics." Kurt said. They were both silent for a couple of minutes while Cali poked through the cupboards she was hot on the tails of an idea. Breadcrumbs: check, raspberries: check, blueberries, cranberries and various other berries: check, pears: check. 'Get ready for some kick-ass culinary!" Cali thought with a smirk.

A while later Kurt was chopping onions and Cali was slicing pears. Both of them were too focused on their creations to talk but Cali was absent-mindedly was humming.

"Watcha Humming?" Kurt asked. Cali's head pricked up.

"Oh sorry I zoned out." Cali said, Kurt laughed.

"I was just asking what you were humming."

"Just and idea I had for glee, but it's the wrong decade."

"Go ahead, take it away." Kurt surprised Cali. Cali shrugged and started to sing.

"**_Goddess on the mountain top _**  
**_Burning like a silver flame _**  
**_The summit of beauty and love _**  
**_And Venus was her name_**

**_She's got it _**  
**_Yeah, baby, she's got it I'm your Venus,_**  
**_I'm your fire _**  
**_At your desire Well, _**  
**_I'm your Venus, _**  
**_I'm your fire At your desire_**

**_Her weapons were her crystal eyes _**  
**_Making every man a man _**  
**_Black as the dark night she was _**  
**_Got what no-one else had!_**

**_She's got it _**  
**_Yeah, baby, she's got it I'm your Venus,_**  
**_I'm your fire _**  
**_At your desire Well, _**  
**_I'm your Venus, _**  
**_I'm your fire At your desire_**

**_She's got it _**  
**_Yeah, baby, she's got it I'm your Venus,_**  
**_I'm your fire _**  
**_At your desire Well, _**  
**_I'm your Venus, _**  
**_I'm your fire At your desire_**

**_Goddess on the mountain top _**  
**_Burning like a silver flame _**  
**_The summit of beauty and love _**  
**_And Venus was her name Wow!_**

**_She's got it _**  
**_Yeah, baby, she's got it I'm your Venus,_**  
**_I'm your fire _**  
**_At your desire Well, _**  
**_I'm your Venus, _**  
**_I'm your fire At your desire _**

**_Venus was her name_**

**_Yeah baby she's got it _**  
**_Yeah baby she's got it _**  
**_Yeah baby she's got it _**  
**_Yeah baby she's got it _**  
**_Yeah baby she's got it!_**" Cali finished. Kurt clapped. "Thanks!" Cali said "Now show me what you got." she continued. Kurt was confused for a second and then he got it.

"Got it!" He cried

**"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.  
When it's cold outside I've got the month of May.  
Well, I guess you'd say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl  
Talkin' 'bout my girl  
I've got so much honey the bees envy me.  
I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees.  
Well, I guess you'd say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl  
Talkin' 'bout my girl  
Ooh ooh ooh  
Ooh ooh ooh  
Hey, hey, hey  
Hey, hey, hey  
I don't need no money, fortune, or fame.  
I've got all the riches baby one man can claim.  
Well, I guess you'd say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl  
Talkin' 'bout my girl  
I've got sunshine on a cloudy day  
With my girl.  
I've even got the month of May  
With my girl!**" Kurt finished on his signature crescendoed high note. Cali applauded. And that's how it was until dinner. Kurt and Cali took turns singing songs from their respective decade.

* * *

Dinner that night had been a success; Cali had cooked her infamous summer berry crumble which was to Kurt's delight was only 50 calories a slice and Burt loved the spaghetti and meatball and the crumble and was very thankful towards her and Kurt. After that it was a pretty quiet night. Cali and Kurt got showers and Kurt had showed Cali west side story which she sat in awe of until about half way through when she started waning into a sort of semi-conscious state but by the time 'cool it boy' played on screen Cali was out cold, when Kurt noticed he paused the DVD and shook her lightly but she wouldn't wake up so Kurt weighed out the options and decided to see carry her upstairs. Now how could he do this without it being completely awkward on his part? 'Okay so support the head under the knees' he tried it out. 'Please don't move, please don't move!' he pleaded internally. He lifted her, took her upstairs and put her down on her bed and looked around the room. Posters littered the walls and books and comics were strewn all over the place and Kurt could see a skateboard in the corner; but not in a chaotic sense, no everything was very neat and tidy. Then Kurt tucked Cali in and for the first time he realised truly how small Cali was; no seriously she could pass for an eight year old, she was about 140 cm and weighed about 60 maybe 65 kilograms at the most which was probably underweight. Some of her sepia coloured hair fell on to her face; he brushed it out of her pale face,

'She'd look good with blonde hair' Kurt thought, but he'd talk to her about to her about that later because he got out of their at warp speed because Cali started to stir.

* * *

Cali rubbed her eyelids and climbed out of bed and stared at the alarm clock: 9 AM. She got her clothes on; which consisted of palatine blue knee-length converse, black skinny jeans with rips on them and superman logo t-shirt, a black beanie and her ever present gold and ruby locket.

Once Cali had her clothes on and everything else that needed doing (7 homework's for catching up on the years' work, finish her book she started last night and practise her violin while watching her morning episode of bones on her I phone) it was around 10:30 AM. She then went down stairs for breakfast. When they were finished Cali went upstairs to practice her violin some more. After another two hours Kurt knocked on her door.

"Come in!" Cali said stopping playing for a brief moment before going back to playing.

"What you doing?" Kurt grinned.

"Well... hmmmmmmm... let me see I have sheet music on a stand, a violin and a bow so what do you think?" Cali asked rhetorically putting down her violin on her desk, Kurt chuckled. "So, what do you wanna do today?"

"I'm going to the mall to get the new Grey's anatomy DVD's do you wanna come?"

"I suppose, I was going to go to- but never mind that can wait."

"What can wait?"

"Nothing, it's okay." Cali shook her head.

"C'mon, you can tell me?"

"No, it's okay. What did you want to tell me?"

"Lunch is ready." Kurt said walking out the door with Cali following right behind.

"Afternoon, Burt." Cali grinned. He didn't say anything back straight away. "What's wrong guys, cat got your tongue?" she asked grabbing her plate from the counter top.

"Can I ask you guys something?" Burt and Cali said simultaneously. "You go first." Cali gave leeway.

"You know Finn Hudson from Glee?"

"Yeah what about him?" Cali said sitting down at the table.

"Well about two months ago Kurt fixed Finn's mom Carole up with me and now... they're moving in!" Burt said fast. Kurt cried in glee. Cali sat there stunned for a moment but got her composure back quickly.

"Cool, when are they moving in?" she nodded.

"Well I have to ask her first, it's a little sudden, but I think she will go for it, Carole doesn't know you. I want to meet her so I've booked a table at a posh restaurant called 'il piatto' for the five of us at eight tonight." Burt said smiling broadly.

"Well congrats from me." Cali said and raised her glass of apple juice happy for Burt.

"So what did you want to ask us?" Kurt pondered.

"Oh... I was going to ask if I could go to the skate park, I know where it is I'll be back in two hours, three tops?" Cali asked Burt finishing off the last of her meal and putting the dish in the sink. Burt looked like he was mulling over it in his head.

"Ok, but you have to be home before four at the**_ very_** latest and Kurt will drop you off**_ and_ **pick you up." Burt considered.

"Suppose so." Cali nodded and proceeded to pick up her skateboard from the floor beside her seat.

"Ok let's go then." Kurt said unhanging his maroon Prada trench coat from the back of his chair and put it on. Cali got up off the chair and followed Kurt out into the driveway.

"You know I could have got there by myself, I know the maps?" Cali asked hopeful with puppy eyes - they always worked with Alec - so that she would be able to go by herself just so could prove to them that she could.

"I know you can, Boo and frankly I would let you but dad would kill me if I did, so sorry." Kurt shrugged as we both got into the car and he shoved the key into the ignition and started driving the car. The skate park was close so it took only about ten minutes to get there which resulted Kurt and Cali belting the soundtrack of Grease (which Kurt had made Cali learn after finding out that she didn't exactly watch the movie). When they were a block away from it Cali turned the radio down and turned - well as much as possible in a car - to Kurt.

"Okay so you're going to pick me up at two?" Cali asked as he pulled up on the curb. Cali took her seatbelt off and grabbed her backpack. She got out of the car.

"T'aime mon Nouveau York lié fashionista!" Cali said through the open window. (love you my New York bound fashionista)

"T'aime aussi mon encyclopédie peu, vous voyez, à deux heures!" Kurt called back, he rolled up the window and took off (love you too my little encyclopaedia, see you at two o'clock). Cali waved as the car went into the distance, plugged her mint green headphones in and turned to a random music playlist on her I phone, some Nickleback, some Jason Mraz, Adam Lambert and some all American rejects. Soon she was at the skate park - which was bigger than most of the ones she'd been to -. First she out on her elbow and knee pads on and then decided just to dive right in and try the ones over beside where she'd seen some disabled people's first, 'It doesn't look too busy over in that spot.' Cali sighed rhetorically, on her way over there she tried a few simple tricks; Ollies, pop shove-it's, boardslide's, heel flips, kick flips 50/50 grinds and rock 'N' rolls. Then she moved on to slightly harder tricks; the boneless, liberty, liberty flips. She then took a brake to get some water about an hour later, when three boys and two girls came over to her.

"That's some decent moves you have there." the tallest boy with black hair and piercing pale green eyes said.

"Thanks, I'm California Altman by the way but everyone calls me Cali." he stuck out his hand and Cali shook it.

"I'm Harry Fletcher, these guys are my friends." he gestured to the group of three people.

"I'm Zina Spektor." Cali shook the freckle-face, grey-eyed, strawberry blonde's hand.

"I'm Jason Nixon, but **_you_** can call me Jay." said the next tallest boy with sandy blonde hair and glasz eyes that were oh-so-similar to Kurt's with a flash of a 1000 watt smile.

"I'm Lance , this here's my - ." The boy with slightly familiar features of coffee coloured hair and azure eyes was cut off by the girl whom Cali was guessing was at least Lance's sister if not his twin.

"Twin who can speak for herself, I'm, Lana St. James." said the girl said. 'Now I know why they were familiar!' Cali thought.

"Are you two by any chance related to a Jesse St. James that goes to Mckinley high?" Cali asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. Why?" the Lana replied.

"Nothing really, it's just I have glee club with him, we just got an assingment together." They all stared at Cali with incredulous looks on their faces. 'Crap shouldn't have gone down that road!' Cali screamed at herself internally.

"You go to high school?" Jay asked.

"Yep. Sophomore, but all my classes except P.E are A.P." Cali said putting her water back in her backpack.

"Well, Harry, Jay and I are freshmen, but I haven't seen you around at McKinley?" Zina pressed.

"I'm new, just moved here, yesterday was my first day, were you in the cafeteria yesterday at lunch per chance?" Cali speculated.

"Yeah, why though?" an extremely cross eye browed Jay asked.

"Girl singing with guitar on a table, Jock, slushy, ring any bells?" Cali smiled as she saw the realisation on Zina, Jay and Harry's faces.

"I knew you were familiar!" exclaimed Jay, who was then promptly elbowed in the ribs by Zina.

"But you're like nine?" Harry said with knitted eyebrows.

"Closer to thirteen actually, I've kinda skipped a couple 'a grades." Cali rubbed the nape of her neck. Harry, Jay, Zina, Lance and Lana stared wide-eyed at her for a minute, Cali giggled a bit. "You guys should see your faces." Cali giggled again.

"Well were going to the cinema in the mall to go see a movie do you wanna tag along?" Lana asked.

"I'll have to ask my cousin if I can though."

"OK, we'll get our things and meet you by the gate." Lance said. They walked over to a corner where a clump of bags was. Cali got her mobile out of her bag and pressed Kurt's number on her favourites and held it up to her ear.

"Bored already it's only been an hour!" Kurt teased through the phone.

"No, I just wanted to ask you if it was okay if I went to the mall with some of these people I met at the skate park?"

"No, I'm sorry Cali, but no." Kurt said with severity through the touch-screen phone.

"Why?"

"I don't know them and more importantly you don't know them." he said plainly.

"But-!"

"No but's, if their going do you want me to come pick you up, I'm on my way back from the mall, I'm like a minute away?"

"Whatever... OK, then!" Cali then hung up angrily and shoved her phone into her trouser pocket. She wandered over to her group of new friends.

"So what's happening then?" Lana asked with a smile.

"Sorry, can't go, my cousin said that I that I'm needed at home." Cali shrugged with her arms.

"That's okay; we'll see you in school I suppose anyways." Zina said.

"And I'm sure Lana and I will see you round here." Lance said, Cali nodded.

"Bye then." Cali said. A chorus of 'byes' came out of Lana, Lance, Zina, Harry and Jay's mouths. They started walking away. They looked back at her and she waved; they waved back. Cali turned to grab her bag, but was so suddenly tapped on the shoulder that she jumped a mile high and gave a small yelp. She quickly turned around, it was Lance.

"Here, get back to me!" He said quickly shoving something in her hands before running away back to the group that was at the gate waiting for him there was a moment of eye contact between them, Cali's head instantly recognised his dialted pupils. Suddenley his friends called to him. "Sorry gotta go, see you around?" Lance smiled . Cali looked down at her hands a piece of paper, she was about to open it when phone in her vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and the text on the screen told her that Kurt was waiting outside for her; she stuffed her phone in her pocket. She made her way to the car on her skateboard, she jumped into the car.

"Hello." Kurt sighed.

"Hi! "Cali said brightly with a smirk. Kurt silently drove for about ten minutes while looking at Cali (when he got the chance to) she smiled, just a little smile at first, but as it grew it pressed her cheeks up and slowly reviled her teeth, like a perfect Pearl necklace. Finally the smile reached her eyes, fanning the flame was already there.

"What's got you on cloud nine?" Kurt grinned driving off and turning up the radio that was playing Britney Spears' _Womanizer_.

"No reason!" Cali answered a little_ too _quickly with a trying to hide a smile that was threatening to illuminate her face.

"Right... So that's why you're grinning like the village idiot?" Kurt asked not expecting an answer.

"Yep, no reason." Cali's answered quickly again. Cali was twiddling with the paper that Lance had given her in her hand.

"What you got there?" Kurt laughed as they turned into the street where the soon to be Hummel-Hudson-Altman was situated.

"Nothing'." Cali's grip tightened on the paper. Kurt turned into the drive way of the house stopping the car.

"Come on show it to me!" Cali shook her head fiercely; Kurt made a lunge for it, grabbed it and opened the folded piece of paper.

"What does it say?" Cali asked timidly. Cali got uneasy after a smirk appeared on his small face. "What does it say?" she repeated.

"It reads _'To Cali here's my number phone me later or use my e-mail or message me on Facebook, I'd love to go out sometime From Lance...'_" Kurt's mouth and face went into what Cali liked to call _'shock/horror'_ mode, he took a moment and then continued "_'From Lance St. James'_" Kurt re-read it twice to make sure it wasn't a joke. "Cali is this guy Jesse's brother. Does Jesse St. James' brother like you?"

"Sounds like it." Immediately after saying that Cali got out of the as fast as she could. Kurt chuckled to himself 'here come match-making à la Kurt Hummel' he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**_-AN- NOT SURE IF I GOT SUE RIGHT NEED SOME FEEDBACK DON'T OWN GLEE DON'T OWN SONGS AND PLEASE READ THE SONG BECAUSE I WORK REALLY HARD TO FIND ONES TO FIT THE SITUATION._**

* * *

SONGS IN THIS CHAPTER

FLY ME TO THE MOON/WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR- FRANK SINATRA AND VERA LYNN SUNG BY ARTIE AND TINA

HERE COMES THE SUN/ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE- THE BEETLES SUNG BY KURT AND RACHEL

I COULD DO WITHOUT YOU- FROM CALAMITY JANE SUNG BY RACHEL AND KURT

ACIDENTALLY IN LOVE- COUNTING CROWS SUNG BY LANCE, RACHEL, JESSE, KURT, LANA AND CALI

FALLIN' FOR YOU - COLBIE CALLIAT SUNG BY CALI

* * *

CHPT 4

"You're going to join the Cheerios." Figgins stated plainly from the chair behind his desk in his signature monotone voice. Cali sat opposite him with a blank stare on her face, she had been called to Finggins' desk during the fifteen minuet break they had around 11 O'clock; she had been in the hallway talking to Harry whom she discovered was a freshman taking al AP classes and whom was in most of her classes -Harry, Jay and Zina were freshmen when Becky came up to the both of them and told Cali to go to Finggins office.

"No! She is not joining my squad, No way not the egg-head ,give me any of those glee kids. Wheels, Barbra, Frankenteen, Hawkhead, anyone of them except her!" Sue screamed from behind Cali.

"Sue no arguing with me about this. Miss Altman hit Mr. Adams over the head with a metal weapon she has to be straightened out. Sue last year statistics state that 44% of children involved in violence in their school more than once dropped out of their high school by senior year, this will straighten Miss. Altman out." Figgins commanded. Cali just sat there with a blank stare, she had been on the wrong end of the Cheerio's statements on Friday, but like most of the other name-calling she tuned them out – or at least tried to - most of the Cheerios were mean, snobbish and arrogant, but some just stayed to their clique. Cali didn't want to be a Cheerio, 'but on the other hand being a Cheerio means taking no crap from anybody' Cali thought to herself, 'Well it's not like I have a choice.' She shrugged to herself.

"Miss. Altman, go with Sue and get your uniform...and that is final." He added when he saw Sue about to open her mouth. Sue stormed out and Cali quickly followed saying thank you to Figgins completely out of courtesy. Cali followed Sue down the hall almost running; the halls were empty as break had ended. When they finally got to the office Sue went behind her desk an opened a drawer, she put a red box on the desk.

"Now Einstein -" Sue was astounded as she was cut off by Cali.

"MY NAME IS CALIFORNIA SHERLOCK ALT_-_ _Sorry- I mean Lyra Avery Altman_, NOT EGG-HEAD AND CERTAINLY NOT EINSTEIN!" Cali Shouted at the top of her lungs at the teacher. Then she realised what he had done and composed herself quick. "But…._you_…. can call me Cali." She said in a still aggressive tone. Sue sat down and gestured for Cali to do the same, which Cali nervously complied to. "I-I'm sorry about that Miss. Sylvester, I-I-I-."

"Call me Sue, now kid I'm not gonna lie to ya, working with a star like me can be taxing, it_ will_ work you to the bone, but from what I've overheard from around about what happened on Friday, you've got spunk, and I like that, it reminds me of a young well, me. So this is your uniform, wear it 24/7 seven, you are to change into it at lunchtime. You will put your hair in the standard pony. Practise is after school on Thursdays and Fridays and before school on a Monday, random ones that fit my need to crush that wretched glee club will be scheduled spontaneously. Understand?" Cali nodded "Here's a hall pass and a note from Figgins. Now beat it!" Sue said slightly louder than talking but not enough to be shouting. Cali got out of there fast and ran to her class, gave her history teacher Mrs. Torres the note that Sue gave her from Figgins that said the reason she was late was that she at his office and she promptly took her seat at the back of class with Harry.

The rest of the classes between then and lunch were a double of math and a period of psychology. Cali wasn't really concentrating, during those classes she had a far off dream-state sort of feeling and Rachel in math & Mike in psychology asked her if she was feeling alright, but she just said that she was alright and brushed it off. Soon the lunch bell rang through Cali's deep-thinking stupor and Cali gave a small jump in her chair as it rang her back to reality with a start.

"Cali are you sure you're okay you're really jumpy?" Mike asked with knitted eyebrows after the teacher said they could go. Cali chuckled nervously, packed away her things and rushed out of class straight to the bathroom leaving a very confused Mike standing in the classroom looking like an idiot.

In the bathroom Cali slammed the stall door shut, put the toilet lid down, sat down, got the box out and laid it on her lap, she stared at it for a moment before opening it. In the box there was two pieces of clothing: a full-shell cheerleading vest and a very very short strip-cut skort. Cali stood up turned to face the toilet, put the box on the seat and started to change. Soon she was laden in the Cheerios uniform; she came out of the stall and walked up to the mirror. She looked at herself in disgust; she had hated cheerleaders since she first met the ones in her school 4 years ago. To Cali being a cheerleader meant you were 'a snobby, mean, self-centred bitch that made life for girls like me hell!' she thought as she put her hair up.

"And now I am one." Said to herself. Cali mentally kicked herself in the ass and then composed herself with deep breaths and looked at herself again. The make-up Kurt had suggested she wear this morning was still evident on her face. The hue of electric crimson on her eyelids that were in stark contrast to her Elizabeth Taylor eyes, the cardinal red lipstick in contrast –but still matching- with her pale skin. She had two ponytails' 'just like the ones boo from monsters Inc. had' she smiled to herself. Cali then grabbed her things a little happier and stole one last glance at herself in the mirror then walked out the door nervously and headed to the cafeteria.

Along the way there were stares, looks of pity from girls 3 or 4 years older and teachers more than triple her age, looks that told her that she was doomed. Cali felt her stomach rise to her throat when she came up to the glee table and saw the look on everyone at the tables face. Cali decided to make a joke of this, so she sat down with a smile on her face.

"Hi guys!" She beamed as she took her seat in between Quinn and Mike. Cali smirked at everyone's expressions. "What, guys cat got your tongue?" Kurt was the first to speak.

"Why are**_ you_** in a Cheerios uniform?" he asked apprehensively.

"Well, the**_ logical_** reason is that I am now, a Cheerio."

"I know that. But you know what I meant!" Kurt said in an annoyed tone. Cali loved winding him up like this.

"It's a punishment, for throwing a bottle at Azimio." She took the last sip of water in her bottle.

"They did **_this_** to you for that!" Kurt was starting to freak out a bit now. Kurt got like that when Cali would do something out of his comfort zone with her, although Cali thought it was kind of cute.

"Yes I'm completely fine with it, now we've got to get to glee all of you, come on get up!" Cali said getting everyone to rise to their feet.

They all arrived at the auditorium with 20 minutes of lunch to spare. Tina, Artie, Rachel & Kurt immediately took off behind the stage to get ready for their performance.

"From all the way back in the 1940's we have Tina and Artie!" Mr Schue said from the middle of the stage with the scarlet red curtains closed behind him. He walked off stage and the curtains went up as the music started. Tina was dressed in navy blue and scarlet red Peter Pan collar dress and red cloche hat, while Artie was wearing a traditional boater hat and a scarlet red and white pinstripe suit. Artie started to sing.** (-AN- Tina sings in italics, Artie in bold italics both is underlined bold)**

"**_Fly me to the moon _**_(When you wish…..)  
**Let me swing among those stars**(you wish upon a star)_  
**_Let me see what spring is like  
On Jupiter and Mars_**" Artie elongated the 'a' note on Mars.

"_When you wish upon a star  
Makes no difference who you are  
Anything your heart desires  
Will come to you_" Tina smile as she held the note

**_In other words, hold my_**** _hand_ **(If your heart is in your dream)**  
_In other words, baby, kiss me_ **(No request is too extreme)**  
_Fill my heart with song  
Let me sing forever more_  
You are all I long for All I worship and adore**" Artie & Tina sang in harmony.

"_If your heart is in your dream No request is too extreme When you wish upon a star. As dreamers do_" Tina soloed.

**In other words, please be true** **In other words, I love you**  
**_Why don't you fill my heart with song? _**  
**_Let me swing forever more_**  
**_Because you are all I long for _**  
**_All I worship and adore_**" you could Artie was quite uncomfortable with the song era, but he pushed on.

"_Steps in and sees you through _  
_When you wish upon a star _  
_Your dreams come true_" Tina voiced, her vocal loud, clear and pure as the wind

**In other words, please be true **  
**In other words In other words, I, I love, you**  
**If your heart is in your dream  
No request is too extreme  
When you wish upon a star  
As dreamers do  
When you wish upon a star  
Makes no difference who you are  
Anything your heart desires  
Will come to you**" They crescendoed to the end of the score. There was a round of applause and a standing ovation, and even though Cali's analytical eye saw Artie's unease, she was pretty sure no one else saw it. After the applause died down Mr. Schue took the stage again.

"Well done Tina and Artie! But now all the way from the decade of free love and hippies Kurt and Rachel take us away you two!"

Rachel and Kurt waddled on to the stage wearing what he had taken the whole week-end to sew. Rachel was wearing a cherry red PVC shift dress with a pillow box has in the same style. Kurt on the other hand was wearing a red crushed velvet jacket like the one that John Lennon wore with black military-like fringed shoulder pads and white trim. The spotlight hit them with a bang and the music started to play.  
(-**AN**-** Kurt sings in **normal** text, Rachel in BOLD and both in**_italics_)

"Here comes the sun (**Love**,** Love**,**Love**)  
Here comes the sun, and I say  
It's all right (**Love**, **Love**, **Love**)" Rachel backed Kurt's voice.

"There's nothing you can do that can't be done.  
**Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.**  
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.**  
It's easy.**" Rachel and Kurt alternated between themselves with lines.

"Little darling  
It's been a long, cold lonely winter  
**Little darling  
It feels like years since it's been here**" They sang holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. Obviously acting of course!

"**All you need is love**.  
All you need is love.  
**All you need is love, love**.  
_Love is all you need._" Kurt twirled Rachel and pressed the tip of her nose with his index finger._  
_  
"_Here comes the sun  
Here comes the sun, _and I say  
It's all right**Little darling  
The smiles returning to the faces**  
Little darling  
It seems like years since it's been here

**Nothing you can know that isn't known**  
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.  
**Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.**  
It's easy." Kurt crescendoed to the limit of his voice though it never quavered. 'They're going are competition.' Cali thought worried slightly.

"**Here comes the sun**  
Here comes the sun, **and I say**  
_It's all right_

Sun, **sun**, sun, _here it comes_  
**Sun**, sun, **sun**, _here it comes_  
_Sun_, sun, _sun_, here it comes" Kurt twirled Rachel rapidly with each word, although with elegance and grace and then stopped with a dip

"**Little darling  
I feel that ice is slowly melting**  
Little darling  
It seems like years since it's been clear" Kurt and Rachel stayed in the dip, but then suddenly snapped back up.  
_  
_"_Here comes the sun_  
**Here comes the sun**, and I say  
_It's all right_"

**All you need is love**.  
All you need is love.  
**All you need is love, love**.  
_Love is all you need._

**Here comes the sun**  
Here comes the sun

**It's all right**_  
_It's all right

_It's all right_

Love, _Love_,**Love  
**_All you need is love_." Immediately after the score ended people were on their feet giving them standing ovation and Jesse even through in a 'whoop!' in there too. Cali tapped the 18-year-old boy on his shoulder.

"Jesse?" Cali called. She got a 'hum' in response so she continued. "Do you think that either of them were competition because statistically the odds aren't exactly sta-" She was cut off by Jesse.

"Cali, don't worry." Jesse chuckled. "Don't tell Rachel this, but I think you're a slightly better singer and from what I heard from my brother you're quite the skater girl too, say why don't, you and Kurt come over to my house tomorrow, I'll have Rachel come over too and we can throw a mini concert all the six of us Rachel, you, me, Kurt, Lana and Lance with any music we can gather?" Jesse saw Cali's eyes grow to the size of plates, he enjoyed making the young genius happy; many people thought he was self-centred, full of himself but he wasn't, he enjoyed being nice to people but he is tough-skinned because of where he wanted to go in life and to lead his team

"Yeah that would be cool!" Cali said relishing the thought of seeing Lance again in her head; she had called him after the dinner with Carole which went pretty well, she discovered Finn was just as clueless as she thought he would be and Carole seemed sweet and good-natured although they weren't told about the moving in with each other. Lance and Cali had talked for hours and hours until it was well past midnight when Burt came in and told her please hang up the phone which she did grudgingly with a sweet apology and goodbye to Lance, Cali couldn't sleep that night so they continued texting until dawn.

* * *

"And now from the Gershwin theatre in New York we have Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel, performing 'I could do without you' from Calamity Jane!" Lance said from the miniature light and sound box at the back. Kurt came on clad in cowboy outfit and Rachel clad in buckskin fringe and cap.  
(-AN—RACHEL IN** Bold **KURT IN Normal AND BOTH IN _italics_)

"**In the Summer you're the Winter**

In the finger you're the splinter

**In the banquet you're the stew**

_Say, I could do without you_" They faced each other with deadly looks in their eyes, Rachel stabbing him in her head with blades, Kurt doing the same.

"In the garden you're the gopher

In the Levi's you're the loafer

Like an overturned canoe

_Well, I could do without you_!" They pulled their obviously toy guns and pointed them at the other. They shoved them back in their respective holsters.

"**You can go to Philadelphia**

**Take a hack to Hackensack**

Hey, I'll never ring a bell fer yer

Or yell fer yer to come back" Kurt surprised everybody with his low range.

"In the question you're the why

**In the ointment you're the fly**" Rachel hit the highest note in the song.

"_Though I know some things are indefensible_

_Like a buck or two_

_If there's one thing I can do without_

_I can do without you_" Kurt poked her in the stomach hard.

"**In the barrel you're a pickle**

**In the goldmine you're a nickel**

**You're the tack inside my shoe**

**Yes, I can do without you**" Rachel poked him back in the chest and they started circling each other while the short instrumental.

"**In my back you're a dagger**

**You're a mangy carpetbagger**

**In the theatre you're the 'boo'**

**I can do without you**

**You got charms, they ain't bewitchin' me**

You've a face no one would paint." Kurt grabbed her cheek and shook his hand. Rachel got angry just like in the movie.

"**I got the darndest itch in me**

**To be wherever you ain't**

In the bullfrog you're the croak

**In the forest, poison oak**" Rachel was belting in Kurts' face

Though I know somethings are necessary

_My half-pint buckaroo_

_If there's one thing I can do without_

_I can do without..._" Then the music and their voices exploded.

**You're a knothead!**" Rachel accused

"You're a faker!" Kurt exclaimed.

**You're a bonehead!**" Rachel took he gun out.

"Troublemaker!" Kurt took his out as well

_I can do without yo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-u!_

"Good job guys that was funny." said Jesse.

"Who's next?" Lana asked.

"I'll go next!" Said Cali, she got up on the raised platform/stage with her guitar and got a stool that was at the sid of the stage and put it besie the microphone and started to pour her words from her heart with both guitar and voice.

"I don't know but...  
I think I maybe  
fallin' for you  
Dropping so quickly  
Maybe I should  
keep this to myself

Waiting 'til I..  
know you better  
I am trying..  
Not to tell you..  
But I want to..

I'm scared of what you'll say  
So I'm hiding..  
what I'm feeeling..  
But I'm tired of  
Holding this inside my head

I've been spending all my..time  
Just thinking about ya  
I don't know what to do  
I think I'm fallin' for you

I've been waiting all my.. life  
and now i found ya  
I dont know what to do  
I think I'm falling for you...  
I'm falling for you...

As I'm standing here  
And you hold my hand  
Pull me towards you  
and we start to dance

All around us  
I see nobody  
Here in silence  
It's juusst  
you and me

I'm trying..  
Not to tell you..  
But I want to..

I'm scared of what you'll say  
So I'm hiding..  
what I'm feeeling...  
But I'm tired of  
Holding this inside my head

I've been spending all my.. time  
Just thinking about ya  
I dont know what to do  
I think i'm fallin' for you

I've been waiting all my.. life  
And now I found ya  
I dont know what to do  
I think I'm fallin' for you...  
I'm fallin' for you...

Ooh, I just can't take it..  
My heart is racing..  
Emotions keep spinning out...

I've been spending all my.. time  
just thinking about ya  
I dont know what to do  
I think I'm fallin' for you

I've been waiting all my..life  
and now I found ya  
I dont know what to do  
I think I'm fallin' for you...  
I'm fallin' for you...

I think I'm fallin' for you  
I can't stop thinking about it  
I want you all around me  
And now I just can't hide it  
I think i'm fallin' for you  
I can't stop thinking about it  
I want you all around me  
And now I just can't hide it  
I think I'm fallin' for you...  
I'm fallin' for you...

Ooohhh  
Ooh no no  
Oooooohhhhh

Oooh, I'm falling' for ya" Everyone sat awe-struck at Cali, but none more so than Lance, his eyes were the side of saucers and gleaming. Kurt was the one who broke the silence.

"Cali we only can stay a little while longer, I've homework to do, three more songs at the most kay?"

"Okay." Cali said nervously not knowing how Lance would react to the song.

"Kay so let's wrap this how up, four more songs any volunteers."

"I volunteer!" Lance said. He jumped off the sofa where he was prevosly sitting beside Cali, got a stool and an acoustic guitar and started to belt while strumming hs guitar.

(-AN- LANCE normal EVERYONE EXCEPT CALI **bold** AND BOTH OF THOSE GROUP IN UNDERLINED CALI IN _italics -Cali does not come UNDER 'BOTH OF THOE GROUPS' CATEGORY_)

"So she said what's the problem baby  
What's the oproblem I don't know  
Well maybe I'm in love (**love**)  
Think about it every time  
I think about it  
Can't stop thinking 'bout it" He gazed a Cali who was too busy being astounded by his voice to notice.

"How much longer will it take to cure this  
Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (**love**)  
Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love" He put down the guitar and got off the stage, extended to Cali which she took and he pulled her off the sofa onto the stage.

Come on, come on   
Turn a little faster  
Come on, come on   
The world will follow after  
Come on, come on   
Cause everybody's after love" Lance spun and twirled Cali round and round, when they stopped he got down on one knee.

"So I said I'm a snowball running  
Running down into the spring that's coming all this love  
Melting under blue skies  
Belting out sunlight shimmerin' love" Everyone except Cali sung. Lance got off one knee and stood up and held one of her hands in each of his.

"_Well baby I surrender _  
_To the strawberry ice cream_  
_Never ever end of all this love_  
_Well I didn't mean to do it _  
_But there's no escaping your love_" Sang extremely high.

"These lines of blindin' me  
we're never alone,  
Never alone, no, no" Eveyone sang except Cali.

"Come on, come on  
Jump a little higher  
Come on, come on  
If you feel a little lighter  
Come on, come on  
We were once  
Upon a time in

Love ...I'm in love" Cali's and Lance's faces grew closer and closer and then BANG! they had head-butted each other then they were snapped out of it by Kurt clearin his voice.

"Time to go Cali." He said

"Kay just let me get my things I'll be two seconds." Cali sighed. Soon enough Kurt, Rachel and Cali were sitting awkwardly in silence in Kurts' car. Cali had not said a word out of embarasssment the whole way home.

* * *

_**-AN- REVIEWS PLEASE NEGETIVE REVIEWS WELCOME**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**-AN- HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS CHAPTER. DON'T OWN SONGS HEREWITHIN NOR DO I OWN GLEE. SORRY SO MANY SONGS SKIPPED HAVE TO GET THIS STORYLINE OVER WITH. I PLUS WAS IN HOLIDAY WHEN SANDY HIT NYC I WAS THERE! WHILE I WAS IN NYC I WENT & SEEN WICKED SOOOOOO AWSOME AND IM GONNA SAY THIS. PLEASE READ THE SONGS A LOT OF WORK GOES INTO CHOOSING THEM. THANX BTW LANCE LOOKS LIKE DYLAN SCHMID. HARRY LOOKS LIKE A LESS OVER THE TOP ADAM LAMBERT JAY LOOKS LIKE BLONDE BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH BUT YOUNGER. ZINA LOOKS LIKE IF YUU TYPE IN MAC STRAWBERRY BLONDE IT'S THE 2ND PICTURE LANA LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE ZOOEY DESCHANEL**_

* * *

SONGS IN THIS CHAPTER

SUMMER OF 69'/ WE'RE THE KIDS IN AMERICA BY BRYAN ADAMS AND KIM WILDE SUNG BY JESSE AND CALI

ANGELS BY ROBBIE WILLIAMS SUNG BT QUINN AND BRITTANY

GET ME WHAT I WANT - SUNG BY JESSE AND CALI FROM 13 THE MUSICAL

PLEASE BRING HONOUR TO US - SUNG BY KURT AND CALI FROM DISNEY'S MULAN

UNDERWATER/STARDUST - BY FOREIGNER SUNG BY LANCE AND CALI

* * *

Cali was backstage on after-school glee club getting ready to start to sing. Cali and Jesse had decided on a mash-up of summer of '69 and Kids in America as almost everyone knew them.

"You ready?" Jesse asked Cali, taking a place beside her at the mirrors backstage. She nodded in approval. She let her mind go blank as she applied some of her favourite eye-shadow - a neon blue - which matched her outfit. She was wearing a fish net and lace black and neon blue skirt black 3/4 length leggings and a 5 inch thick leather belt with a top that was lace-armed and had a quilted bodice also with the arms black and the bodice Palatine blue with del-monte diamonds in the quilt cinches. She also wore boots with gold and silver buckle straps at vamp and shaft, side cutout details and contrast welt stitching which would wreak havoc with anyone's else's dancing, but Cali danced in them all the time in her room back Seattle and also in Quantico - where Spencer lived in D.C-. Cali finished the rest of her make up and put her now-in-riglets hair with a massively over-sized neon blue bow and topped the look off with a jet black leather jacket and one black leather finger-less glove. Soon enough they heard Mr. Schue announcing their names so they made their way quickly to the stage and took their places on the stage. The curtains opened, the music started and the first real performance of her life commenced. (-AN- CALI IN normal JESSE IN **bold** BOTH IN _italics_)

"I got my first real six-string  
Bought it at the five-and-dime  
Played it till my fingers bled  
It was the summer of '69

"**Looking out a dirty old window.**  
_Down below the cars in the city go rushing by._  
**I sit here alone and I wonder why**

"_Me and some guys from school_  
_Had a band and we tried real hard_  
**Jimmy quit and** Jody got married  
**I shoulda known we'd never get far**  
**Oh when I look back now**

That summer seemed to last forever  
**And if I had the choice Yeah -**  
**I'd always wanna be there**  
Those were the best days of my life

Friday night and everyone's moving.  
I can feel the heat but it's soothing.  
Heading down, I search for the beat in this dirty town.

**Ain't no use in complainin'**  
**When you got a job to do**  
**Spent my evenin's down at the drive-in**  
**And that's when I met you**

We're the kids in America.

_Whoa_  
_We're the kids in America._

_Whoa_  
_Everybody live for the music-go-round._

**Standin' on your mama's porch**  
**You told me that you'd wait forever**  
**Oh and when you held my hand**  
**I knew that it was now or never**  
**Those were the best days of my life**  
**Back in the summer of '69**

Down town the young ones are going.  
**Down town the young ones are growing**

Man we were killin' time  
We were young and reckless  
We needed to unwind  
I guess nothin' can last forever foreveeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr r  
OH!

_Bright lights the music get faster._  
_Look boy, don't check on your watch, not another glance._  
_I'm not leaving now, honey not a chance_.

_We're the kids in America_.  
**Whoa**  
_We're the kids in America_.  
Whoa  
Everybody live for the music-go-round

**And now the times are changin'  
Look at everything that's come and gone  
Sometimes when I play that old six-string  
I think about ya wonder what went wrong**

**Outside a new day is dawning.**  
**Outside Suburbia's sprawling everywhere.**  
**I don't want to go baby.**  
**New York to East California.**  
**There's a new wave coming I warn you.**

Standin' on your mama's porch  
You told me it would last forever  
Oh the way you held my hand  
I knew that it was now or never  
_Those were the best days of my life_

**Kind hearts don't make a new story.**

Kind hearts don't grab any glory.

_We're the kids in America. Whoa We're the kids in America. Whoa_

Everybody live for the music-go-round.

Back in the summer of '69

We're the kids  
We're the kids  
We're the kids in America

**It was the summer of '69**

We're the kids  
We're the kids  
We're the kids in America whoa

**Me and my baby in '69**

We're the kids  
We're the kids  
We're the kids in America whoa

**We're the kids  
We're the kids**

We're the kids in America  
_whoa_

_Everybody live for the music-go-round_

I knew that it was now or never  
Those were the best days of my life

**Back in the summer of '69**

Back in the summer of '69

Those were the best days of my life (**Live for the music-go-round**)

_We are the kids in America  
Whoa_

Cali and Jesse finished with Jesse holding Cali by on hand and putting her into a front facing dip. All of the people in the room burst into an applause and a 'whoop' was added from Kurt and Rachel. Cali snapped into an upright position again with the help of Jesse and they took a low bow 'Wow!' Cali thought through an elated haze. Thoughts ran through her. 'this is what I did!' she smiled as Mr. Schue said something she couldn't quite understand but Jesse started to walk to backstage and Cali dizzily followed.

"How'd you like that then?" for the first time Cali found words.

"OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO AWSOME I WANNA DO IT AGAIN, I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT -" Cali was jumping up and down on the spot, Jesse stopped her before she passed out, he put his hand on top of her head and pushed down so she would stop jumping.

"C'mon let's get to our seats." Jesse proposed and they sped quickly, although just in time for the next act: Brittany and Quinn.

"And now for our next act from the nostalgic 90's Brittany and Quinn!" Mr Schue announced again. A heavily pregnant Quinn walked on stage wearing a simple white dress and a brass metal ring on her head like a tiara. Then Brittany literally skipped on stage obviously wearing a sexy/slutty devil costume. No music started they were going a cappella on this. (Brittany normal Quinn **bold **both in _italics_)

"**I sit and wait**  
**Does an angel contemplate my fate**  
**And do they know**  
The places where we go  
When we're grey and old  
_'cos I have been told_  
_That salvation lets their wings unfold_  
So when I'm lying in my bed  
Thoughts running through my head  
**And I feel that love is dead**  
**I'm loving angels instead**

_And through it all he offers me protection_  
_A lot of love and affection_  
_Whether I'm right or wrong_  
_And down the waterfall_

Wherever it may take me  
I know that life won't break me  
When I come to call he won't forsake me  
I'm loving angels instead

**When I'm feeling weak**  
**And my pain walks down a one way street**  
**I look above**  
**And I know I'll always be blessed with love**  
**And as the feeling grows**  
**He breathes flesh to my bones**  
**And when love is dead**  
**I'm loving angels instead**

_And through it all he offers me protection_  
_A lot of love and affection_  
_Whether I'm right or wrong_  
_And down the waterfall_  
_And through it all he offers me protection_  
_A lot of love and affection_  
_Whether I'm right or wrong_  
_And down the waterfall _" As Quinn was pregnant there wasn't any dance moves so the performance was stock still but the vocals were amazing so they were still fair competition to the rest. Mr. Schue gave them a congratulations the same as the rest. So I'm they had got through everyone with Matt and Mike doing a horrendous rendition of Katy Perry's I kissed a girl, Santana and Finn doing scenes from an Italian restaurant by Bryan Adams, Mercedes and Puck did Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. By the time they finished it was something like six o'clock and everyone was starting to get slightly bored because of the sheer number that performed today, so everyone one except for Cali was slightly droopy by the time the results were cast everyone was about to doze out of conscious when the speaker burst into life.

"Hola niños y niñas and now for the results!" Mr Schue said grabbing anyones attention. Finn whose eyes were fluttering and head was drooping jumped a mile high to feet and gave a small yelp. Everyone laughed including Finn himself. "Try to keep yourself awake Finn." there was resounding chuckles from the rest of glee. "And now the results." Mr. Schue continued. " The winning duet for the 2010 decades competition is... Jesse and Cali!" a large smirk appeared on Jesse's face while beside him Cali looked stunned, mouth hanging open, eyes wide and eyebrows high. "C'mon up here guys." Jesse and Cali got up out of their seats with their heads held high and quickly made their way to the stage. "Congrats to our winners who will now close the week with a duet. I'll give you a minute to decide." Mr. Schue said. Jesse and Cali turned their backs to their audience.

"what song do you think we should sing?" Cali whispered.

"I don't know," Jesse replied.

"I know why don't we sing that new Mika song?"

"Grace...?"

"Kelly, yeah."

"Too high, what about Airplanes?" Jesse countered.

"Noooooo." Cali said. Jesse and Cali had a thinking face on the at the same then miraculously had the same thought.

"Thirteen the musical!" The both pounced on the thought.

"What are you guys singing guys?" Mr. Schue from his seat at what the glee kids liked to call the panel.

"Get me what I need from 13 the musical!" Jesse shouted to him. Brad started up the piano and the band started out. (-AN- JESSE** bold** CALI normal BOTH _italics)_

"There's the cool kids  
**There's the preps**  
and there's the skate  
punks and the jocks  
And then there's me  
**There's the losers**  
**There's the nerds and **  
**There's the stoners**  
And the Goths  
And then there's me

**But **  
**then there's you**  
**Cause you're the new kid in the school**  
**Not defined by one **  
**specific breed**  
**And so your free to flip from group to group**  
**From scene to **  
**scene**  
**Cause you're the consulate, the medium, the go-between**  
**Which means **  
**your perfectly positioned to get me what I need**

Look, Jesse,  
I'm the wrong girl for this.

**One date, that's all I'm **  
**asking.**

Isn't there some nice girl on the special needs  
bus?

**They don't like me**  
**Even back before the crutches, it was clear I don't fit here**  
**So it's hopeless**  
**I can't walk right up to **  
**Rachel and say "Hey",**  
**She'd run away**

**But look at you**  
**You're making **  
**friends and having parties**  
**And adapting at impressive speed**  
**Just twenty **  
**minutes as we're sitting so our knees can touch**  
**Yes, it's a tiny **  
**inconvenience, but it means so much**  
_Cause out of all of Ohio, you can get _  
_me what I need_

It's impossible!

**And what I **  
**need is Rachel!**

**Rachel, Rachel!**

_Beautiful _  
_Rachel!_

**Rachel, Rachel!**

Wonderful  
_Rachel!_  
**Make her appear!**

_If you want a girl, the girl you _  
_want is_

**Rachel!**  
**Very hot, Rachel!**

_Very hot, _  
_very hot_

**I'll Go tell Rachel…**  
**your waiting here (Rachel he's waiting here)**

Here's the  
problem  
Every minute, every second that you wait might be too late  
So let's  
face it,  
**If I** (you) ever had a chance, the time is now, I don't care how  
Just do your best  
**And I won't bother you again and that's a promise **  
**guaranteed**

**So, you can help me out and it can go through very well**  
**Or**  
I can turn around and make your life a living hell  
_It's up to you, you've got _  
_a choice, you've got incentive to succeed_  
**Yes, I know it sounds **  
**insane**  
_You've got to help me_, **Cali**  
_Help me_, **Cali**

_Help me_, **Cali**

_Help me_,** Cali**  
Get me what I  
_neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed_

I'll try!

**I knew you would**" The audience burst out laughing. Not mocking them but because it was a funny song. Cali and Jesse took a deep bow.

* * *

It was late Saturday afternoon, almost evening when Cali was in her room supposedly getting ready to go to the cinema. Kurt, whom was outside gingerly knocked on her door.

"Come in!" Cali shouted. When Kurt went in he saw that the room was in utter disarray, nothing like the organised chaos on Thursday, when he was last in her room. There were clothes strewn all over the place along with books in messy piles. Cali was lying on the bed strumming her guitar.

"What happened?!" Kurt said horrified.

"What do you mean what happened?" Cali asked back.

"You know what I mean, anyway Jesse just called, he can't come but he said we could use the tickets and Dad said go to dinner at either Breadstix or the Texas." There was a slight raise in his voice, Cali knew he was lying, but she played along although albeit apprehensively.

"I'll go to the Texas haven't tried it ." Cali tagged along.

"The Texas, okay, let's get you dressed up!" Kurt smiled.

"Why!? " Cali said astonished.

"Just go with it!" Kurt said literally dragging her to his room. He sat her down at his vanity forcefully. He checked his watch. " Okay we got an hour and a half to do your hair make-up and clothes, go get all of your clothes, maybe I can stand to look at it without my eyes burning this time!"

Five minutes later Cali appeared arms laden with bundles of clothes. "Sit." He ordered as she complied. He started laying out clothes in piles. "Which one?"

"That one." Cali pointed to a pair of sky blue jeans and fuchsia lace shirt.

"No Cali that's the definitely not pile. What about this?" He said pointing to a puff-ball skirt and a plain lime shirt.

"That hat was meant to be a halloween costume !" Cali screamed.

"What were you meant to be that year?"

"I can't remember, oh flubber the ballerina!" Cali shouted, Kurt didn't seamed fazed by it at all, he just kept hogging though the clothes.

"I think this one!" Kurt pushed a dark green lace dress in her face with maroon tights slung over the hanger. With the danger of being bored hanging over her head with fierce dedication she decided to go with whatever Kurt wanted,

'It's only dinner!" Cali thought. "OK, I'll go for that, whatever." Cali sighed. Kurt looked miffed.

"Well go get a shower, then we'll do your hair first ." Cali turned around a Kurt turned on the stereo. (normal IS KURT **bold** IS CALI & _ITALICS_ FOR BOTH)

"This is what you give me to work with

well honey, I've seen worse

we're gonna turn this sow's ear

into a silk purse" Kurt shooed Cali away and she disappeared into the en suite.

"We'll have you washed and dried

primped and polished 'til you glow with pride

trust my recipe for instant bride

you'll bring honour to us all" Kurt layed out all the product, make up, clothes ect. That he was going to use on Cali. Soon enough Cali came out of the shower, Kurt hollard that their were bath robes on the back of the door. Cali came and sat down while Kurt worked on her hair, drying it combing it.

"Wait and see

when we're through

boys will gladly go to war for you

with good fortune and a great hairdo

_you'll bring honour to us all_

**A girl can bring her family**

**great honor in one way**"Cali grew in power. Kurt had parted her hair at her right side and loosely curled. **  
**

"Men want girls with good taste

calm, obedient, who work fast paced

_with good breeding_

_and a tiny waist_

you'll bring honor to us all" Kurt matted Cali's face , put pigment green shadow on her lips rock n roses lipstick on her lips and rogue on her cheeks.

"When we're through

**when we're through**

when we're through..

**you'll bring honour to us**

you'll bring honour to us

_you'll bring honour to us all" _Kurt left the room so Cali could put on the emerald lace dress and maroon tights with dark brown leather 2 inch heels -which Cali struggled to walk with -, the same style belt. Kurt knocked and asked if he could come back in. Once he got an affirmative he came in. He started criciling her.

"Twirl for me!"Kurt cooed. Cali raised her arms and twirled after a couple of revolutions she stopped. "You look georgous, you look like the splitting image of Elizabeth Taylor." He grabbed a picture stuck in the crease between the wood of his vanity and the vanity's mirror. Kurt put it up to Cali's face. "The similarity is uncanny!" Kurt looked astonished. Cali blushed.

"Well I suppose I do bear a mark of resemblance." Cali shrugged.

"**There, I'm ready**" Cali sighed

"...not yet" Kurt pointed out, Cali sighed.

"A pendant for balance" Kurt opened the top drawer of his dresser and there was a single dark brown wooden carved box and nothing else In the box. He on penned the box there was a pair of exquisite, emerald and silver earrings.

"They were my mom's" Kurt whispered. Cali had a stunned look on her face, which then turned into a confused one.

"I'm grateful, truly, I am but why go to all this effort for a simple dinner."

"It's always fun to dress up Cali. Just try it" Kurt said kindly.

"**a bracelet of jade for beauty**"

"You must proudly show it

now add a locket" Cali retrieved the locket where she left it in Kurt's bed and put it on. But Cali couldn't think what was going on, for all of her knowledge of behaviour from her cousin fit had to be specialising in serial killers.

"**just for luck**

_and even _**I **(you) _can't blow **it**" _Kurt and Cali laughed you he picks her coat, a cream-gold leather jacket and giving her a Louis Vuitton style bag. Once they were finished they headed towards the car.

"**ancestors hear my plea**

**help me not to make a fool of me**

**and to not uproot my family tree**

**keep my father standing tall  
**

_please look kindly on these cultured words_

each a perfect porcelain doll

**please bring honor to us**

please bring honor to us

**please bring honor to us**

_please bring honor to us all_" As they pulled out of the driveway Kurt found himself thinking. 'She knows nothing!' In pure glee.

* * *

Cali and Kurt got out of the car and walked towards the restaurant, a gentle breeze blowing though their hair. Kurt had his arms folded across his chest and Cali zipped her yellow-cream leather jacket all the way up . They got to the door and Kurt stopped Cali.

"This is where I leave you Cali." Kurt said with a smile. Cali looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Cali questioned perplexed. Just then a car pulled into the parking lot which she vaguely recognised. "Who's is that car, I know them?" Cali asked starting to get annoyed that he was not answering her questions Cali walked over towards the car to investigate. When she was halfway across the parking lot the doors opened and three people spilled out onto the black floor. Out of car came out Jesse, Lana and Lance. They walked over to her as Kurt came up to her from behind. "Hey guys whatcha doing here? Kurt and I just came out for dinner!" She shouted over to them as the group came closer. The only world that came to mind when Cali look ed at him was 'different' instead of his overly gelled hair- that he was currently tryig ti fix due to seeing Cali- was ruffled and curly, his tanned olive skin was glowing in the lights. Before ther was his - what she deemed as his normal- jeant t-sirt and baseball cap, now there were mustard coloured chinos the top two buttons of his shirt open and a the most different thing about him was that on his head

"Hey Cali!" Lance and Lana shouted at the same time.

'Are these kids synced or something?' Cali thought. They came up to Cali & Kurt.

"Cali, Lance we have something to tell you." Lana said with a grin. Cali and Lance were looking apprehensively at the three grinning kids in front of them.

"Because I'm friends with Jay's big brother Wyatt, who goes to Carmel, I was at his house the other day and he said that Jay said that Zina could not stop gushing about how hopelessly sickeningly sweet you two were. He said Lance could not stop saying how cute and perfect Cali was." Jesse chuckled, this earned him a firm punch in the arm from a cherry red Lance.

"So because of that we decided to set you two up on a... Well I suppose you could call it a social gathering of two people who like each other more than friends-".

"You know by the parameters you're describing this sounds a lot like a date." Cali said glaring eyes for Kurt, Lana and Jesse.

"So it is half five you are two are to be back in this parking lot by nine,I put the money in your bag, the movie begins at eight" Kurt said with a smile on his lips but a serious expression on his face." Here are your tickets for the cinema. You have an hour and a half to eat. OK, one we're gonna go." Said Kurt handing Lance the cinema tickets. Both parties that were not Cali & Lance rushed away so quickly that Cali and Lance were stunned, after they went there was an awkward silence for a moment then Cali broke it.

"Guess we go in and go ahead with this thing." They joined hands and walked through the doors.

* * *

About an hour later they had just got the main course they were talking merrily. They talked about everything they liked. Cali had discovered that she wasn't the only kid around her age that liked 80's bands and classical music at the same time and Lance loved the fact that she kept making jokes and not understanding them.

"So where are you from? you sound like your from Washington state?"

"Correct, I'm surprised you got ithat right!"

"I always had an I eye for accents, acting classes."

"Never took them, always wanted to though" just then the waiter came down and took there empty plates.

"Will that be all?" Questioned the tall pale white-blonde haired boy in his twenties.

"Yes please, unless do you want dessert?" Cali asked.

"No I'm okay, I have an idea of where to go after this!"

"But what about the movie?"

"Trust me you'll love this better."

"Here's the bill then." the waiter whose name tag said Phil said smiling putting the bill on the table. Cali took her wallet out of her bag.

"Halfers?" Lance said.

"No I'll pay this. You can pay for the next one, kay?" Cali said giving the money to the waiter, they got up and left the were strolling though the parking lot, hand in hand.

"So what was your idea?" Cali asked

"Well.. .. and I... um was thinking we could go to the skating rink, it's really cool so it is." Lance said bashfully blushing . 'Aww how cute is that!' Cali thought herself.

"I've course l'd love to the skating rink with you, Lance. I never been to rink before!" Cali practically squealed then blushed red.


	6. Chapter 6

Don't own songs or glee. Sorry for not updating my (not-so) good friend decided to change the password on me after I gave her my Ipad to read a story, and I've only managed to get the password now. I will state that I cannot find conclusive weather reports for Seattle on the net so sorry for any Seattle readers if you are out there and I have got your weather miserably wrong. Reviews hate or likes all the same.

DANCE WITH ME TONIGHT - SUNG BY CALI AND LANCE FROM OLLY MURS

YOU ALWAYS MAKE ME SMILE- SUNG BY cALI AND KURT ORINGINALLY BY KYLE ANDREWS

* * *

The alarm pounded in Cali's head, more annoying than ever the Sunday morning fervently apparent in the world outside her window. She it hit off quickly as to not wake anyone, which was redundant as she could hear a flurry of activity downstairs already.

"What the hell's going on down there?" she questioned to herself. She donned in her cherrios attire for practice and then slowly went down the stairs. There were boxes in the hallway; she walked to the kitchen when she saw Kurt, Burt, Finn and Carole around the table.

"Morning Cali!" Carole said, they all turned to her.

"Why's everyone up so early?" She asked.

"Well, you didn't notice last because we had to cart you upstairs straight away, but Finn and Carole started moving in yesterday after you left and have come to start again this morning and we're helping them." Kurt said drinking his coffee.

"Why did you have to - as you say- 'cart her upstairs straight away'?" Asked Carole. Burt sighed and then chuckled.

"Don't get me started on that!" He said.

"Jesse St. James is a boy that goes to our glee club, he has a brother a year younger than Cali called Lance. They were friends, both glee and Lance's friends noticed them making goo-goo eyes at each other-" Kurt was cut off by Cali kicking up a fuss.

"I do not make goo-goo eyes!" She shouted causing all of them to laugh.

"Anyway, we decided to give them a secret date," Kurt flinched expecting a hit from Cali. "We dressed Cali up, nice and pretty, green dress, high heels the whole nine yards. Jesse and Lana -Lance's siblings- brought him to a restaurant and I brought Cali there-"

"I'll take the story from here," Cali cut off Kurt yet again.

-**Flashback Start**-

Lance and Cali walked the half a mile to the rink. When they got there they changed shoes. Cali had electric blue roller skates and Lance had green. They then precariously made their way the roller rink. The rink was full, it was a big rink with a large quantity of speakers and flashing coloured lights. When they got on the rink a fast song was playing.

"Did you know September 14, 1979 Theodore Coombs completes 5,193 mile roller skate from LA to New York City and back to Yates Center, kansas." Cali stated.

"Take it your good on blades as you are on your board?" Lance asked doing backwards circles around Cali. Cali laughed.

"Seattle's not the place for skateparks, but they do have rinks, so yes I am competent." Lance smirked.

"Competent, are you?" He asked himself. Suddenly he dove behind her one hand grabbing her waist and his left hand gripping her left hand. The two of them looked in each others eyes. Then they looked ahead again and a new song started on the speaker system. The song had a defined beat too it. (Lance normal **Cali bold** both underlined)

"My name is Lance nice to meet you can I tell you baby,

Look around there's a whole pretty ladies,

But not like you, you shine so bright, yeah." Lance spun Cali around and around.

"**I was wondering if you and me could spend a minute,**

**On the floor up and close getting lost in it,**

**I won't give up without a fight**." Cali pulled Lance close, as a oy would do in ballroom dancing. Lance raised his eyebrow at Cali and she smirked back.

"I just wanna, oooooh ooooooh u-hun baby,

**I just want you to dance with me tonight,**

So come on, oh baby,

I just want you to dance with me tonight." Cali and Lace did waves parallel to each other.

"**We're getting sweaty, hot and heavy in the crowd now,**

Loosen up and let you hands go down, down,

Go with it girl, yeah just close your eyes, yeah." Cali let go of Lance's hand and playfully, dove away into the crowd.

"**I feel the music moving through your body,**

**Looking at you I can tell you want me,**

**Don't stop keep moving till the morning light, yeah**." Lance heard from behind the crowd, he did a loop of the ring when he saw Cali, but she did not see him. Lance quietly came up behind her and grabbed her waist. Cali screamed and jumped in surprise, turning around and glaring mockingly at Lance.

"When I saw you there, sitting all alone in the dark acting like you didn't have a care,

I knew right then, you'd be mine,

**We'd be dancing the whole damn night right,**

Oh baby, I just want you to dance with me tonight,

So come on, oh baby,

I just want you to dance with me tonight." Cali broke off and skated fast, Lance took off trying to go faster. Cali turned and skated backwards, green dress swishing infront of her.

"Come on slow poke!" Cali shouted as she turned back around.

"**Break it down now,**

shake it like that,

now bring it all back" Lance over took Cali.

"Who's the slow one now skater girl!" Lance shouted over the music. Lance skating backwards was far quicker than Cali skating forwards.

"**To dance with me tonight**

**We can dance all through the night**

I just want you to dance with me toni-" Lance didn't see the raised exit because he was skating backwards, Cali called out for him to watch where he was going,to stop but he didn't. Cali closed her eyes and winced as she seen him fly backwards and then quickly flew over to him.

-**Flashback**** End**-

-"I went to hospital with him, he had broken arm and got a cast and I waited until his family came to get him and until Kurt came to get me." Cali said biting her lip and shaking her head. "Nothin' I can do about that now, we've gotta get to cheerios practice, c'mon Kurt, bye Finn, bye Mrs. Hudson."

* * *

Kurt and Cali entered the glee club about a month later after their Cheerios. A lot had happened, a lot was the same Cali and Lance were still head over heels for each other more than ever, Kurt, briefly had a relationship with blondie Britney and the Cheerios budget had been cut in favour of Glee. Everything was going well, but of course drama was on-cue for this glee club like it had always been. It started in Glee, everyone was crowded around Tina who was, for lack of a better word de-gothized.

"What happened?" Kurt said.

"Figgin's told me I wasn't allowed to wear goth clothes anymore, I've tried every other style." Tina shrugged. Rachel 'the hobbit' Berry and Jesse marched in.

"We were just spying on Vocal adrenaline, there were christmas lights in the dumpster, so we checked the fabric store and they were out of red chentilli lace."

"No," Mercedes moaned.

"Sweet Jesus," Kurt whispered as Tina gasped.

"What!" Tina said.

"They're doing Gaga!" Jesse snarled.

"So we are doing a Lady Gaga week, try to out theatricality them." Announced Mr. Schue writing 'Theatricality' on the board.

"Yes!" all the girls, save Cali and plus Kurt yelled. All the boys save Kurt and plus Cali sighed.

"Do we have to!" whined Puck.

"Yeah Mr. Schue, some of us don't like Lady Gaga" bit Cali.

"Lady Gaga is about expressing yourself no matter what, only a handful of artists are like that." Mr. Schue explained.

"Why can't anyone who doesn't want to do Gaga do one of those 'other artists' then." Finn said.

"Okay, change of assignment. Do a theatrical artist. Give me some artists?"

"Kiss!" Said Puck.

"Adam Lambert!" Called Kurt.

"Mika!" Called Tina.

"All of those are great, spilt into groups and pick one." Mr Schue ordered.

They were then left to get into groups Cali sat alone for a couple of minutes, but then wondered towards a group consisting of Santana, Britney, Quinn, Puck and Matt.

"So we're thinking Perry, maybe." Quinn said not realising who was behind her.

Cali didn't like Perry's music much, a song here and there but not much. Cali then decided to waltz over to Kurt's group consisting of him, Mercedes, Rachel and Tina.

"You're doing Gaga I take it?" Cali asked Kurt.

"You bet ya kiddo!" Kurt grinned. "You staying with us?" He questioned. "Oh and by the way you have to come with me to the Ikea to decorate Finn and I's room after this."

"I'll see what everyone is doing then pick and okay"

"Okay." He said and then went back to gossiping with his friends. Cali wondered over to the 'Left over group' where personalities were probably going to clash namely Jesse and Finn. The group consisted of Jesse, Finn, Mike and Artie.

"What are you guys doing?" Questioned Cali.

"We're not sure, maybe Kiss, maybe another band?" Artie said.

"Well what other band then?" Said Mike.

"Gentlemen I have all but three word for you, and those three words are: 'Stand and Deliver'" Cali counted on her finger.

"So Adam Ant?"'Jesse questioned.

"Common misconception. It's Adam and the ants, not Adam Ant. But essentially yes, Adam Ant. Of course I would choose MJ but his supporters are divided among the groups." Cali said a mile a minute. Everyone just nodded in agreement falsely.

"So any objections?" Finn said. No one spoke up so he took that as no objections.

* * *

"Hello Cali." Spencer said to Cali on her phone as she was lying on her bed later that night.

"I was wondering when you'd call, it's been two weeks." she said from the other end.

"Well, _I_ was the one that was on a case. It's not my fault if someone gets murdered!" He said jokingly.

"Still isn't an excuse not to call!" Cali mock shouted to her phone.

"How I've missed you Cal, I wished your parents would have left you with me, a week later and I would have been back from Europe."

"I know Spence."

"So what's new with you Cal?" Spencer asked.

"Well Lance is getting his cast off in a few days and I'm performing Adam and the Ants!"

"Cool, did you know that Adam's full name was originally Stuart Leslie Goddard?"

"I know, Spence, I know. So what's new with you?" Cali asked now expertly trained on getting Spencer off a tangent or subject.

"Well, JJ had her baby."

"What you should have started with that! Boy or girl?, name?, weight?" Cali frantically asked

"Boy, Henry LaMontagne and 5 pounds 3 ounces. I'm his Godfather!" Spencer said calmly but squealed at the last part.

"Oh my God I can't wait to see him when I visit in the Summer!" Cali giggled.

"That's what I calling to talk to you about, you see I checked my days off and I can com and visit at Christmas for a couple of days and one of those days it's your Birthday." Cali's face moved into a frown.

"Spencer, don't you usually visit your mother at Christmas." She said apprehensively.

"Yes, but I thought I could visit you instead of my mother this year, she's alright with it she said so herself in her last letter."

"Are you sure Spence? I mean you hardly ever see her." Cali checked.

"Yes, but still do you want me to come over or not?"

"Okay, then, tell you what I'll give you over to Burt and he'll talk to you." Said Cali running down the stairs into the livingroom. "It's my cousin Spencer." She said handing the phone over. Knowing that the two adults would be doing arranging for some time so Cali walked into the kitchen to get a glass of her favourite juice, pomegranate. But on the way she heard hushed shouting coming from Kurt's room. The hushed shouting if Finn and Kurt to be exact. She soundlessly opened the door and crept down the stairs, careful not to be seen.

"It's a privacy partioner?" Kurt sounded vulnerable. "its the only one i could find on such short notice." Kurt looked at Finn's expression and Finn was not happy "Why are you getting about everything, I worked hard on this?" He asked. Finn blew his top.

"Why is it so hard for you to understand!" Finn shouted. "I don't want to get dressed in front of you. Y'know I put my underwear on in the shower before I come out when your around, I, I just don't want to have to worry about that stuff in my own room man!" Finn complained.

"And what stuff are you referring to-"

"You know, you know what I'm talking about, don't play dumb, why can't you just accept that I'm not like you?" Finn put forward.

"Like me how?!" Kurt fussed.

"Don't act like you don't know what I mean." Finn rationalised. Kurt's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Finn well, what do you mean?" Kurt enforced.

"I am not gay Kurt you have to accept that for starters, I am normal I am not different from others like you, different like Cali or like-" Cali rose from her hiding spot.

"How. _How _how am I different, different to anybody my age, different to you, different to Kurt, different to people!" Cali screamed stomping down the stairs and over to Finn.

"Cali, Cali I didn't mean it like that!" Finn tried to apologise.

"I know how I am not different I keep telling everybody that I'm just the same as them, as anybody! I don't want there to be anything different about me!" Cali burst out crying and ran up to her room at full speed.

"Now look, see what you've done, it's all your fault!" Kurt screamed flailing his arms, marching up stairs.

Kurt was angry but greatful, greatful that the conversation with Finn hadn't gone further. Kurt knocked at her door.

"Go away!" Cali flipped. Kurt heart ached for her, all she wanted was to be the same as everyone else, she never wanted to be different.

'And why should she?" Kurt mumbled.

"I said go away Kurt!"

"Cali, I'm coming in." Kurt informed opening the door, only to have to dodge a cushion to the head.

"Get out, Kurt get out!" Cali sighed drawing her knees to her chest. Kurt walked over and perched himself on the bed and ran his hand up and down her shin trying to be comforting. "Kurt please, get out." Kurt put his arm around her. (Kurt normal **Cali bold** _both itallics_)

"I like your messy hair. I like the clothes you wear.  
I like the way you sing and when you dance with me.  
Ready set here we go." Kurt rocked them back and forth, rubbing circles on Cali's back.

"_I don't know why I love you.  
I just know I can't stop thinking of you  
OH WAIT oh oh oh oh oh  
It's cause you make me smile  
oh oh oh oh oh  
You always make me smile_" Cali said beating out the song on her thighs.

"I like that rainbow pair of gym shoes that you wear.  
I like the chance you take. I like the mess you make." Cali put her head on the front of Kurt's shoulder and snuggled into it.

"**I don't know why I love you.  
I just know I can't stop thinking of you  
OH WAIT oh oh oh oh oh  
It's cause you make me smile  
oh oh oh oh oh  
You always make me smile**" Kurt stroked Cali's hair that fell limply at her shoulders.

"I like that rainbow pair of gym shoes that you wear.  
**I like the way you sing and when you dance with me.**  
I like the face you make **and when you dance with me.  
**I like the rules you break **and when you dance with me.  
**I like the cake you bake **and when you dance with me.  
****I like the chance you take so won't you dance with me?**" Cali drummed on her thighs.

"I don't know why I love you.  
I just know I can't stop thinking of you  
OH WAIT  
It's cause you make me smile  
You always make me smile

_I don't know why I love you.  
I just know I can't stop thinking of you  
OH WAIT oh oh oh oh oh  
It's cause you make me smile  
oh oh oh oh oh  
You always make me smile  
oh oh oh oh oh  
You always make me smile_"Cali and kurt hamonised to the beat they both knew off by heart.

"**I don't know why I love you**. (You always make me smile)  
I just know I can't stop thinking of you  
OH WAIT (**oh oh oh oh oh**)  
**It's cause you make me smile**  
oh oh oh oh oh  
_You always make me smile_  
_You always make me smile_" Kurt wiped away a final tear and watched Cali smile, they both stared at eachother wondering what tomorrow will bring.


	7. Chapter 7

CHPT 7 Cali

**AN: Sorry for taking so long, I've had some really important stuff just past and now it's out of the way I will probably post weekly, maybe it'll encourage more of you to review please, even if it's flaming or constructive criticism or just a plain review. how do you feel about Cali do you like her? Do you wanna see more of Harry, Zina, the Twins and Jay? Do you wanna hear more about her past? do you wanna hear more from Lance? More songs please send me good ones if you have any. And tell you all what, I'll give you a good song you might like in return.**

* * *

STAND AND DELIVER - BY ADAM AND THE ANTS SUNG BY CALI, MIKE, FINN, ARTIE & JESSE

THIS IS WAR - BY 30 SECONDS TO MARS SUNG BY SANTANA, CALI AND ENSEMBLE

THROUGH YOUR EYES - FROM A QUEST FOR CAMELOT SUNG BY CALI AND LANCE

* * *

Cali and the boys were in the midst of rehearsals, taking it 'from the top' for about the fiftieth time. Kurt was at the lighting box taking orders from Cali, only helping the other group because Kurt's car was in for repairs and Finn was his riddle home.

"Okay you boys," Cali commanded the stage, looking quite funny in her highwayman costume,"Begin Kurt!" Cali had everyone dress up in their costumes she made for them, consisting of full Adam ant gear; capes , triangular hats and army-style, each a different color for each person. "Finn!" She shouted as the intro passed.

"I'm the dandy highwayman who you're too scared to mention."

"Artie!"

"I spend my cash on looking flash and grabbing your attention."

"Jesse!"

"The devil take your stereo and your record collection!

The way you look you'll qualify for next year's old age pension!"

"All"

Stand and deliver your money or your life!

Try and use a mirror no bullet or a knife!" They all chorused.

"Me!" Cali shouted. "I'm the dandy highwayman so sick of leading fashion

The clumsy boots, peek-a-boo roots that people think so dashing," Cali twirled and finished with a roundhouse kick."Boys!"

"So what's the point of robbery when nothing is worth taking?

It's kind of tough to tell a scruff the big mistake he's making"

"All!"

"Stand and deliver your money or your life!

Try and use a mirror no bullet or a knife!

And even though you fool your soul

Your conscience will be mine"

"Finn!"

"All mine"

"Jesse"

"We're the dandy highwaymen so tired of excuses

Of deep meaning philosophies where only showbiz loses"

"Finn ,Jesse"

"We're the dandy highwaymen and here's our invitation

throw your safety overboard and join our instigation"

"Artie and I!"

"Stand and deliver your money or your life!

Try and use a mirror no bullet or a knife!"

"Artie Finn,"

"And even though you fool your souls

Your conscience will be mine, all mine"

"Jesse, Mike and I."

"Da diddley qa qa da diddley qa qa

Da diddley qa qa da diddley qa qa"

"Mike, Finn and Artie."

"Stand and deliver your money or your life!"

"Jesse and I." Cali still shouted, the boys were starting to get a head ache, the little girl was fun but sure was a drill Sargent when she wanted to be.

"Stand and deliver your money or your life!..."

"That was good, almost as good as us!" Said a voice from the back of the auditorium, the figure walked forward revealing Santana and her group.

"I doubt it Lopez," Cali sneered.

"Doubt what? How obnoxiously bad you guys are or how much you're gonna fail on the stage."

"Take that back Santana!" Jesse put a hand on the shoulder of the petite girl, who looked like she was about to attack the Latina.

"Never, a Lopez never backs down."

"Well, that _is _evident, since your family are regulars of going through the legal system, I'm actually surprised that you_ haven't_ been to juvie yet." Cali spoke very slowly with a sly smile to her face a practical purr in her voice, she resembled a sort of villain, one of the smart ones, like Moriarty from Sherlock.

"I'm not my family, I'm nothing like them! They're nothing like me!" A quiet rage bubbled in Santana's voice making it shake, ever so slightly.

"What?!" Cali seemed surprised. "So none of the women in you family are sluts like then?" Cali asked as if it was a perfectly innocent question. "Come on _Santana _all of us here know for a fact that you've made out and or slept with every boy in the school, the fact of the matter is the only place you're gonna spend for the rest of your life is with your leg wrapped round a pole!" Cali expected everyone to start laughing at Santana, but they all were looking at her in surprise.

"Cali." Jesse warned.

"Well you're about got learn one way or another." Cali promised.

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes Santana, yes it is or are you not smart enough to realize plain English?"

"Oh yes I am smart enough to recognize a threat, but I realize that you might not know you are trying to deliver one, see 'trying' the operative word."

"Trying? The operative word, yes, trying and succeeding I propose a settlement."

"On song."

"On what else my poor naïve Latina?"

"This is about to get good, Santana will pummel the little smurffette." Said Brittney thinking aloud. Everyone give her a weird look before looking back at the fight.

"Stop being such an idiot Brittany," Cali muttered under her breath. "Kurt!" Cali shouted. Kurt stepped forward, he must have made his way to the stage unnoticed during the confrontation.

"Cali this is a bad idea, come on you two we shouldn't be fighting before a competition." Kurt tried to dissuade the two.

"Kurt pick a song for us to sing, something we'll both know." Santana bit. Kurt quickly walked back bandstand and whispered something in their ears.

(Santana in normal **Cali in bold**, _ensemble in italics, **bold italics for **__**everybody**_, for Cali and Santana underlined , _underlined italics for ensemble with Santana_, **underlined bold for ensemble with Cali** )

"A warning to the people  
The good and **the evil**" Cali and Santana circled the other, glaring at the person opposite.

"This is war

**To the soldier**, the civillian  
The martyr, the victim

This is war

**It's the moment of truth** and the moment to lie  
**The moment to live **and the moment to die  
The moment to fight,** the moment to fight**, to fight, **to fight**, to fight!" as they both crescendoed Santana lunged at Cali, causing her to fly backwards, cape sprawling in a pool behind her. Cali flipped up, unfazed by the set-back.

"**To the right**, to the left  
We will fight to the death  
To the Edge of the Earth  
**It's a brave new world from the last to the first**

**A warning to the prophet**  
**To the liar, the honest**

_This is war_

**To the leader, the pariah, the victim, the Messiah**" Cali loosened her buck around her neck that was keeping her cloak in place, the cloak clumped to the floor navy and silver fabric muddled together. Backing away, the crowd on stage cleared to either side for Cali, bowing, with hand across stomach idly tossed the triangular hat off of her head. Flailing her arms above her head, she swung them forward and did a double handstand, followed double twist landing in a split. Snapping back to her feet she re-acquainted her hat to her head and her cloak to her body. Santana seemed a little shaken up an taken aback by this, but did not relent.

"_This Is War_  
**It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie  
The moment to live and the moment to die**  
The _moment to fight,  
the moment to fight,  
to fight,  
_to fight,  
**_to fight_**

**To the right, to the left  
We will fight to the death  
To the Edge of the Earth  
It's a brave new world from the last to the first**" Cali belted as Kurt's lights went strobe-like as she and Santana battled, both of the headstrong, independent though slightly bitchy girls.

"_To the right, to the left  
We will fight to the death  
_**To the Edge of the Earth**  
**It's a brave new world,_  
_**_It's a brave new world,_**_  
_**_It's a brave new world_

To the right, **to the left**  
We will fight to the death  
To the Edge of the Earth  
**It's a brave new world from the last to the first**" Santana started getting up in Cali's face as if provoking her, Cali eyes narrowed at the sight of the Latina. Cali felt her blood boil a little.

"_**To the right, to the left**_  
We will fight to the death  
To the Edge of the Earth  
**It's a brave new world,**_**  
It's a brave new world,  
**_It's a brave new world

A brave new world,  
**the war is won**,  
the war is won,  
_a brave new w_orld" Cali tried to keep the last note, but because Santana's voice had 'set' so much higher in the soprano range which was hard for Cali's low alto to compete with, therefore Cali ran out of steam. Defeated, Cali suppressed a sigh, grabbed her bag and walked away with her held still head high. Cali turned her head one last time, seeing Santana smirking at her with her hand on her hip, she walked out embarrassment evident on her face. Cali then herd a cackle from behind the closed door.

* * *

Kurt and Finn followed Cali out promptly, glaring at Santana all the while.

"What do you think that was about Kurt?" Finn asked.

"I don't know Finn! You know what Santana is like?" Kurt sighted fixing his bowler hat.

"Maybe Santana was jealous or something?"

"About what though? What could Santana possibly have to be jealous about?" Kurt pondered

"Now that's the question? Well it was Cali's fault technically."

"No! It was all Santana's fault and where the hell did you learn the word technically?!"

"Cali taught me it 'well technically Star Wars and Star Trek are not the the as me thing' " Finn quoted from Cali.

"Oh no Star Trek is much better, Cali has the latest movie and Checkov is too cute. Though Voyager is the best, there's a lady that would get your blood pumping if you know what I mean," Kurt chuckled "her names is seven of nine, but janeway up to season 4 needs a complete make over."

"Dude a nearly two months of living with Cali has made you a major geek, hope it doesn't rub off on me!" Finn complained. Kurt caught sight of Cali. "Yo! Cali wait up!" Finn shouted. The girl turned around revealing it was not Cali, it was one of the more petite cheerios.

"Sorry Emily, we thought you were Cali." Kurt said. Emily, seeing Finn in his costume give a nasally laugh.

"She went that way." Emily pointed up the corridor.

"Thanks Emily, see you tomorrow at practice." Kurt said dismissively as they focused their hardest on finding Cali.

* * *

"I don't know what happens to me," Cali sighed. "I just loose all measure of self-control and I just don't have a hold on the right thing to do." Cali exclaimed. Cali leaned a back, agitated, on the skatepark railing.

"What you've got to do Cali is breathe, just breath, simple as. In, out, in, out and concentrate." Cali giggled, Lance realised what he had said and turned an unfashionable shade of pink. "You have a sick mind, Cali Altman you know that!" Cali grabbed him into a hug, grabbing at the nape of his neck.

"Spoilers!" She whispered harshly in his ear.

"Oi! Would you two please get a room!" Lana shouted as she appeared, coming over the top of a steep incline that Lance and Cali were atop of. It had been a few hours since the debacle with Santana and it was getting near half nine, the December night air was cold and there was a slight icy rim to the skatepark.

"That phrase was coined in the nineteen twenties by a bunclh of youth during the prohibition. So in other words: Never!" Cali shouted back. The pair let go of each other, but kept their arms entwined.

"Seriously you two are sickeningly sweet!" Harry complained.

"But they're sooooo cute!" Zina protested.

"Yes, but it's sooooo annoying!" Jay mocked.

"Anyway it's half nine and I've been ignoring my phone vibrating in my pocket for the last hour and a half, so I need to get home."

"Lemme walk you home."

"No! I'm fine Lance."

"No way it's way too dark, who knows what's going on out there!" Lance shouted following Cali,who was going to get her stuff.

"Fine, let's go then." Cal faltered.

"Bye guys!" The pair shouted to their friends.

"That has to be one of the most weirdest couples I have ever seen." Harry said.

"Yeah but you gotta admit they are pretty good for each other?" Zina argued.

"I said they were weird, not that they weren't meant for each other, because they most definitely _are_, meant for each other that is." Harry agreed.

The cold night air nipped at Cali who was still in her costume. The two decided it was safer walking through the park rather than the streets, Cali shivered and drew her cape close around her.

"You want my coat?"

"No thanks, I think the cape is a little more dramatic, don't you." She said, flipping her cape behind her Cali and Lance laughed and he slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her close. Cali and and Lance kept walking along the road looking every bit as weird with the midnight and silver cape billowing behind the two, the moonlight shining above.

"Look at the sky

Tell me what do you see" Lance pointed at starlit sky.

"Just close your eyes

And describe it to me" Lance whispered in Cali's ear making her shiver.

"The heavens are sparkling

With starlight tonight

That's what I see

Through your eyes." Cali answered with a voice like a siren call. Cali pulled her hood down revealing her big sucer eyes behind lashes.

"I see the heavens

Each time that you smile

I hear your heartbeat

Just go on for miles" Lance put his hand on Cali, staring at her and stroking her deep brown hair.

"And suddenly I know

My life is worth while

That's what I see

Through your eyes" they both breathed at each other, foreheads touching.

"Here in the night

I see the sun

Here in the dark

Our two hearts are one

It's out of our hands

We can't stop what we have begun" they took each line in bated turn like a competition of some sort, scanning the other two out.

"And love just took me by surprise

Looking through your-" there was a high-pitched squeal that came from a bench just at the side of the park's walkway.

"What was that!?" Questioned Lance.

"I don't know, let's go check out!" Cali leaped from where they were standing.

"Cal I don't think that's a good idea."

"What's life without a little risk?" Cali asked rethorically.

"Boring at best." Lance sighed as he answered the question that Cali had told him was her motto. Cali got on her knees and ducked under the bench, took her phone out of silver skinny jeans, shined the lamp and gasped.

"Lance come see this," she exclaimed. Lance got down on his knees aswell. Sitting there in a bundle, were a litter of cats and -what Cali and Lance were guessing was- their dead mother. Lance got up a second, grabbed a stick and gently prodded the mother. No reaction.

"What should we do?" Lance questioned, praying Cali would be reasonable.

"We should take them to my house, then we can get them to a vet." Cali replied, this was just the type of answer Lance was afraid of.

"Cali this is _not_ a good idea, not a good idea at all! Cali just stop will you!" Lance tried to stop Cali, but the was already unbuckling her cape.

"I don't give a damn, are you going to help me or not?" She inquired point-blankly. Lance nodded almost inconspicuously. "Then the most important thing is to keep the kittens warm and hydrated, now who's house is closer, mine's or yours?" Cali asked

"Yours."

"Fine, you take those two and I'll take the other two kittens." Lance unbuttoned the coat he was wearing and put the kittens in it.

"Jesus, it really is freezing." Lance swore, Cali looked at him.

"Since when do you curse?"

"I tend not to do it in front of m'lady." Lance said in a stately manner, Cali sniggered at the nickname he had given her after she forced him to watch all of the 'Lord of the Rings' in a row one Saturday.

"Come on we need to get them warm." Cali announced.

The pair swiftly made their way to the Hudson-Hummel-Altman residence, Cali and Lance slipped in the back door into the kitchen. As soon as the kitchen door was open she was met with the sight of Carol, Burt, Finn and worst of all a very pissed off Kurt. Cali gulped.

"Would you guys help us we found Kittens, if we don't warm them up they'll die." Cali over-dramatised the situation on purpose, knowing it would give her an advantage. Kurt reluctantly went to help Cali followed by Burt.

"We'll talk about this later." He said calmly.

After they warmed them up and fed them milk with a dropper from Cali's science set they all decided that they would take them to the vet in the morning.

In the morning Burt took Cali to the side.

"We need to talk about this California." He used her full name, he never ever hushed Cali's full name.

"Yes. Okay."

"Kurt has explained the reasons why you did it, but you have to be home at reasonable time and either with Kurt or Finn, me or Carol."

"Kurt, Finn, Carol and I." Cali muttered under her breath.

"What was that Missy?"

"Nothing."

"That's just what I thought!" Cali got up to go. "Wait, don't you think you get off the hook that easily, you're not allowed your video games or headphones or that damned violin for two weeks, maybe you won't wake me up at six in the morning every morning playing it."

"But, you said the walls were sound-proof!"

"Clearly not enough!"

"Hurry up you two! Do you want these kittens to die or not?" The two heard Kurt's high voice that resonated in their brains.

When they got to the vets it was not busy but it still took them an hour and a half to get them seen.

"It seems you are very luck the knitter you found were Russian blue kittens, one of the most sought after cats.

"They were brought over here in the 1600's by the puritans." Cali interjected

"Okay, so you found these kittens in the park?" the burly black veternarian asked.

"Yes I did."

"And the mother, was she with them?"

"Dead, we checked."

"Well from my examination all four and medically fine, nothing major wrong with them. A little malnourished, but that's to be expected."

"And can we... Keep them I mean?" Kurt piped up, up until that point he had looked as uninterested as can be with the conversation.

"Well, the state law requires you to advertise that you found the missing for two weeks and it no one comes forward you can keep them."

"Can we dad?" Kurt asked

"It will be hard, don't get me wrong, kittens going to be no picnic, you'll be a mother to bit basically and it will be even worse with four of them."

"Please Burt. My birthday is in a few days and I'll see this as a birthday present." Cali pleaded.

"Okay, fine you three can keep them." Burt declared


End file.
